


Whatever it Takes

by DJ_Roomba



Category: Disney Princesses, The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family Drama, Long-Distance Relationship, Love Letters, Meeting the Parents, Mild Sexual Content, Missing Scene, Oral Sex, Reunited and It Feels So Good, True Love, Vaginal Fingering, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2018-11-20 00:50:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 96,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11325222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DJ_Roomba/pseuds/DJ_Roomba
Summary: Tiana and Naveen are in love, but their happily ever after isn't as easy to get to as the stories make it seem. Is their love strong enough to keep them together when it seems like everything is trying to tear them apart?This story is set between scenes at the end of the movie, filling in the gaps from the moment they thought they were frogs forever, up until Tiana's dream comes true at the opening of Tiana's Palace.





	1. Chapter 1

“I am so sorry, Tiana,” Naveen said. “This is all my fault.”  
  
Though it was only a moment before Tiana answered him, the words seemed to hang in the air, heavy and threatening to break these fragile new feelings they had between them now, but Naveen knew he had to say it. There was no way they could start … whatever it was they were calling this life together, without addressing it.

“What are you talking about?” Tiana answered in that gentle way that made his heart soar in a way he’d never felt before. Naveen supposed that was love. Was it really only yesterday morning when he first realized that he loved her? Listening to Mama Odie talk about wants versus needs, and watching Tiana laugh and dance… it had finally hit him hard, and he had the bumps to prove it. He loved her, simple as that. Though if he thought about it, the feelings had started long before then.

Seeing her come out of her shell when they had danced together had been exhilarating. Who knew that making someone laugh and smile could be so wonderful. He wanted to do it again, and more. Naveen’s longed to touch her, to kiss her, to do everything he could to make her happy. But he couldn’t.

“I ruined your life!” Naveen exclaimed. “It is because of me that you are doomed to live the life of a frog. If I had not fallen for the Shadow Man’s tricks… if I had not asked you to kiss me, none of this would have happened.” He buried his face in his hands. “But now you are here. Trapped in this body, and forced to live in the bayou when you should be living your dream. It is my fault that it is lost.”

Naveen clenched his hands, relishing the pain in his palm. With fresh blood needed for Facilier’s scheme, Naveen had been captured by the shadows and brought to the Shadow Man, and to his surprise, Lawrence as well. The talisman used to take his blood was able to cut deeper into his frog skin than his human skin, and now Naveen had a deep cut across his palm to match his shallower one on his finger from when he had been human. The pain pulsed with his heartbeat, serving as a reminder of his mistakes.

“I would not have wished this on anyone,” he continued, “especially you. I am so sorry, Tiana.” Naveen said again. “I will never forgive myself.”

When she placed her hand gently on his shoulder, Naveen’s eyes stung as tears threatened to spill. “What happened to your hand?” she asked softly.

Naveen shrugged, but not enough to dislodge Tiana’s hand. “Nothing.”

He could tell she was frowning, even without looking at her. “Naveen.”

“Fine.” He held his hand out to her and chanced a glance at her face. Yes she was frowning, but not in the way he had imagined. She had a concerned look on her face, and it hit him all over again how he wasn’t the only one in love.

“This needs to be cleaned before you get an infection,” she said simply, and Naveen watched her in amazement as she somehow managed to make a small fire and boil water in a makeshift bowl. They had no cloth, so Tiana made do using moss. She dipped it into the boiling water to clean it of germs, and gently worked on cleaning Naveen’s cut. He winced.

“Sorry,” Tiana said. He shrugged again, and looked away. The familiar feeling of uselessness crept back into him. How could they survive out here, when he didn’t even know how to do simple things like building a fire? Tiana shouldn’t have to be a frog and carry the burden of having Naveen around. For a brief moment he considered just letting her be free of him by fading away into the dark bayou one day when she would be too preoccupied to stop him. But even just the thought made his heart ache. And watching the tender way she cleaned his wound… Naveen knew it would hurt Tiana just as much. _She should have fallen in love with anyone but me._

“I don’t blame you, you know,” Tiana said softly, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“You should,” he replied.

“If there’s one thing you should know about me by now, it’s that I don’t take kindly to people telling me what I should and shouldn’t do,” Tiana said with a slight smile. Naveen felt his own lips curl before settling down again. “None of this is your fault, and you shouldn’t be blaming yourself for it.” Tiana wringed out the moss and dipped it into the hot water again. “It’s as much my fault as it is yours.”

Naveen glanced up sharply. “Yours? I would never-”

“You were the one who suggested the kiss, but I’m the one that actually did it,” she said, more harshly than she meant to. Tiana took a deep breath and softened. “You can twist and turn the events in the past few days to change the blame any which way you like, but that doesn’t change anything.”

“I know.”

“If you have to blame somebody, blame the Shadow Man -”

Naveen jumped up, nearly knocking Tiana over. His eyes wide as he exclaimed, “The Shadow Man! _Faldi faldonza_ , I forgot all about him.” He whipped his head around, as if expecting to see an army of shadows descend on them at any moment. “We should hide..? No. We can fight him. No, no. We can -”

Once more Tiana placed a gently hand on his shoulder. Her touch instantly calmed him. “We don’t have to worry about the Shadow Man anymore,” Tiana said, meeting his eyes.

“What? We don’t?” Naveen asked.

Tiana bit her lip, and then shook her head, looking away from him. “He’s gone.”

He took her hands in his. “Are you sure?” Naveen gently prodded. He needed to know they were safe - safe from the shadows at least. 

After a moment, Tiana nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“What happened?” Naveen immediately regretted asking. As soon as the words left his mouth, her entire body tensed. She pulled her hands away from his, and held herself. Her hands rubbed up and down her arms in a steady rhythm. 

“I - I don’t want to talk about it,” she said.

“Did he hurt you?” Naveen hated himself for asking, but as images flashed through his mind of the way the Shadow Man had treated him, Naveen knew he wouldn’t be able to stand by and do nothing if any harm had come to Tiana. Even if the Shadow Man was gone.

But luckily she just shook her head and said, “No.”

“Did he-”

“Naveen please.” Her voice cracked and she squeezed herself tighter. 

And then he was holding her. It had happened so fast, Naveen didn’t even register it until he felt Tiana’s quick heartbeat against his own. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

She shook her head against his chest. “I can’t talk about it,” she whispered back, sniffing slightly. “Not just yet anyway.”

Naveen gently shushed her, and held her tighter. “It’s alright.”

Her arms found their way around his waist, making Naveen’s heart flutter. “I’ll tell you sometime,” she promised. “When I’m…. When it’s….” 

Naveen shushed her again, and surprising them both, kissed her softly on the cheek. The feeling of heat coming to her cheeks almost made him blush himself. “You can take as long as you need,” he said. “And if that that time never comes,” Naveen shrugged slightly, “that is ok, too.”

Tiana nodded and rested her head against his chest. They stayed there a few minutes, wrapped up in each other. Naveen felt his heart unclenching as she relaxed in her arms. He wasn’t able to give her much, but he could always give her this.

After a few moments, Tiana pulled back enough to give Naveen a small smile. He returned it easily, and forced himself not to smother her with kisses. It didn’t seem like the right time, no matter how much he wanted to. But perhaps just a small peck… Naveen leaned in slightly, and Tiana said, “How’s your hand?”

“Huh? Oh.” He held it out for her to see. “Much better. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I don’t know how much I did for it,” Tiana said. “We should show it to Mama Odie in the morning. It’s a cut used for magic, so maybe it needs magic to heal. Or at the very least some iodine.” 

“Yes, good thinking,” Naveen said. “Though I am sure to be in for another scolding from her.” Absentmindedly he rubbed his hand against his head where he could still feel the bump from her hitting him with a wooden spoon. It paired nicely with all the other bumps he had gotten in the past few days. “I am sure she will be disappointed we are still frogs.”

“I think she’ll be understanding,” Tiana said, threading her fingers through his. “We found what we needed, after all.” There was that blush again. God, she was cute.

“Even though we are frogs,” Naveen said, surprised by how downcast he sounded. 

Tiana’s face fell. “Naveen,” she said, “I know I can’t tell you how you should feel about all of this. I’m still getting used to it myself.” Their eyes met, and he held their gaze. “But please believe me when I say that I don’t blame you for what happened. In fact,” her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes glistened with tears threatening to spill. “I’m almost glad because, if you weren’t here I don’t know what I’d do. Earlier I thought I saw you and Lottie on the float, and I felt… I felt so alone. But knowing that you are here, and that we’re together-”

Naveen broke her off by pressing his lips to hers, in a hard, passionate kiss. He could feel the wetness of her tears on his face, and Naveen wasn’t surprised to find his own spill out when she kissed him back. 

“I will _never_ leave you,” he said when he pulled back. 

She nodded. “I know,” she replied, trying to catch her breath, but Naveen didn’t give her the chance. He brought her in for another kiss. Softer this time, but no less urgent. Naveen wanted, no _needed_ to make up for that moment on the float, and all the other times when he inadvertently caused her pain. Including just a few minutes ago. He hated himself for thinking of leaving, even for a second, and as he kissed her, Naveen promised himself that he would never do it again. 

“I love you, Tiana,” Naveen whispered against her lips. 

“I love you, too, Naveen,” she replied, still breathless, but smiling. 

Naveen was happy to find him smiling his usual wide grin in return. It felt good to smile, to laugh. With Tiana in his arms, freshly kissed and smiling up at him, he felt happier than he had in a long time.

“I think,” Naveen said after a moment, “I think everything is going to be alright.” 

“Yes,” Tiana replied, “I think so, too.” Their life might not be what he had originally pictured, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be happy.

“I suppose the bright side to all of this is that no one can tell us what to do anymore,” Naveen said, with a chuckle.

“That’s true,” Tiana said. “We can do whatever we want.”

“And what is it _you_ want, my love?” Naveen asked, delighting in the blush that resurfaced on her cheeks. 

“The only thing I ever wanted was my own restaurant,” Tiana answered. “But I don’t think that’ll work now.”

“Why not?” Naveen asked, grinning widely. “We can make our own restaurant right here.”

“What are you talking about?” 

“I mean here in the bayou,” Naveen said.

Tiana simply gaped at him, but he could see the wheels in her mind starting to turn. “Who would be the customers?”

Naveen counted on his fingers. “I know Louis will be your number one customer, and I am sure that Mama Odie would love to eat something other than bathtub gumbo. We know we can count all of Ray’s family, too.” Ray’s family would be more than enough to keep them busy. Naveen chanced a glance up at the new star in the sky. He wasn’t sure, but the star seemed to twinkle. Ray must approve of the idea. 

“Yes,” Tiana said, half to herself. “It would be easy enough to find all the food we need. I won’t have everything that I’m used to, but that’s okay.” She grinned wide at Naveen. “I’ve never been afraid of a challenge.”

“I didn’t think so,” Naveen grinned back. 

“Louis can play his trumpet for everyone,” Tiana said, growing more excited. She gave him a teasing look. “You know any good ukulele players?”

Naveen laughed and hugged her, again. “I will mince for you, too. And anything else you need.”

Tiana hugged him tight, doing her best not to squeal in his ears, but it was hard not to  
be thrilled by the idea. “We’re really doing this?” she asked, fear mixed in with her excitement. “You really think we can?”

“I know we can,” Naveen said simply, and cupped her cheek. “I know this won’t be the restaurant that you have always pictured, but I will do everything I can to make it worthy of you.” He took her hand and held it against his chest. “And to make myself worthy of you.”

Tiana started to speak, but Naveen gently cut her off. “I do not know if I will ever be able to forgive myself for all that has happened, but I will try. In the meantime,” Naveen took her hand again, and got down on one knee, “I promise I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”

In one swift movement, Tiana knelt down beside him and then their arms were around each other once more in a gentle embrace. They rested against each other, and Naveen realized just how tired he was. It had been a long few days. Soon they would find Louis and settle in for bed, but not just yet. 

“What should we call this restaurant?” Naveen asked, stroking her back slowly.

She gave a contented sigh, and said, “ _Tiana’s Place_.”

Naveen smiled, and nodded. It was a good name. “ _Tiana’s Place_ ,” he agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

“What do you miss the most?” Tiana asked. 

“About what?” Naveen answered. 

Tiana hesitated, but she had already asked the question. There was no going back now. “About being human.”

These past few days had been a delicate dance between the two of them. They were both hungry for information about the other, yet talking about the lives they had left behind proved to be more painful than they anticipated. Somehow they seemed to manage - Naveen was very skilled at pulling the conversation in just the right direction. So far they had learned simple things about each other; like before leaving Maldonia, Naveen had celebrated his twenty-first birthday, while Tiana would turn twenty in the summer. His favorite color was ironically green, and Tiana favored yellow. And that while they both shared a fondness for Louis Armstrong, Naveen had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the man’s growing catalog of music. An impressive feat in itself, but was made more so by the fact that jazz hadn’t quite ‘made it’ to Maldonia yet, as Naveen explained. 

A few years ago a small group of jazz musicians had played a concert for the royal family, and while his parents had declared the music to be vulgar and crass, Naveen instantly loved it. 

“I learned that New Orleans was not only the birthplace of jazz, but also of Louis Armstrong himself,” Naveen told Tiana. “It is one of the reasons I wanted to come here in the first place.”

“I’m really glad you did,” Tiana said with a small smile. 

“Me too.” Naveen squeezed her hand.

Instead of satisfying her need to know more about him, these small tidbits only made her appetite grow. Perhaps it was this desperation that had led her to ask such a difficult question in the first place. Though there was also a part of her that needed to talk about all the changes they had gone through, no matter how much it hurt to remember their past.

“I uh -” Naveen chuckled, “I suppose the thing I miss most is my hair.”

“What?” Tiana found herself laughing too. “Are you serious?”

“Of course I am,” he gave her a lopsided grin while he absentmindedly smoothed back hair that wasn’t there anymore. “You never saw me with it, but I can assure you it was glorious.” Naveen sighed and flopped onto his back, staring at the passing clouds.

Except Tiana  _ had  _ seen him with his hair. Well, sort of. It had been Lawrence as Naveen, though she hadn’t known it at the time. She did remember that hair though, how perfectly coiffed it had been. The curls styled expertly, except for two that escaped and framed his face perfectly. Even now just thinking about it, her fingers itched, longing to touch it.

She didn’t say any of that though, choosing instead to tease him. “Your greatest achievement, huh?”

“I know you jest, but women would come from miles away for the chance that they might feel the silky strands between their fingertips. I mean…” He spared a quick glance her way, coughed, then quickly got back to his feet and propped up a piece of driftwood they had found, having realized it probably wasn’t a good idea to talk about prior conquests with Tiana.

The intense jealously that flared inside of her surprised Tiana. How was it fair that these countless women had been able to experience something with Naveen that she she hadn’t, and now never could? It took all of her energy to remind herself that Naveen loved her, and that was much better than running her fingers through a nice head of hair. 

When Naveen cautiously caught her eye as he came close to her side, Tiana playfully tossed some crumpled up leaves at him, laughing as she did so. Naveen gave her a challenging look before he tossed the leaves right back. Soon they were chasing each other and giggling uncontrollably while they played this silly game, happily ignoring the task they had set out to do.

They had been spreading the word of a restaurant in the bayou, trying to gather opinions on whether or not it would be welcome, and so far the feedback was remarkably positive. Tiana was anxious to start the groundwork, but both she and Naveen agreed that there were a few things they needed to do before they could start. First and foremost was some sort of shelter for themselves, nevermind the fact that most frogs didn’t build them. These past few nights without a roof over their heads had been enough for both of them. Not only did the bayou make a lot of noise at night, but knowing that most everything here wanted to eat them made for some very restless nights. Of course it was true that Louis was always there and he served as a very large deterrent for most creatures, even he had to sleep sometimes. Plus he snored. 

It would be a relief once they had something more substantial between them and the night, though when Tiana thought about it she usually ended up blushing heavily, because sharing a shelter with Naveen meant that they would be together. Alone. All night.

As usual, thoughts of them together made her replay the conversation she had overheard between Naveen and Mama Odie a few mornings ago. They had gone to see the voodoo queen to ask about the cut on Naveen’s hand, and though the old woman would do what she could to help, it seemed that the black magic that caused it was too strong. According to her, it would never heal properly. Of course Naveen had tried to laugh it off, but it was obvious to Tiana that he was upset by it. 

So when Mama Odie sent Louis and Tiana out to find some special herbs to help, Tiana agreed (though she had a sneaking suspicion that it was just get them out of the way). 

When Tiana was walking back up the steps to the boathouse, she overheard Mama Odie pestering Naveen about when he would pop the question. Knowing it was extremely rude to eavesdrop on such a conversation didn’t stop her from ducking out of sight and listening as hard as she could. Surprisingly she hadn’t thought of marriage since that night on the river boat. So much had changed since then, and she still wasn’t certain that Naveen really had tried to propose to her that night, despite what Ray had told her otherwise. 

Tiana’s mind combed over all the things they had talked about on the riverboat. Despite it being the most romantic night of her life, the memory of it was spotty. Had it really been a proposal? Naveen sure had been nervous about something, that much was obvious. And hadn’t he been holding something? A walnut shell? Tiana had no idea what that could have been for, and had never thought to ask. 

They had flirted so effortlessly that night, too. All those touches, jokes, and quick witted responses had flown so easily between them. It was when Tiana first realized she loved him. But would she have said yes to a marriage proposal if he had asked? Would she say yes now?

Images of a married life together flashed before her mind. They could make a life together in the bayou. It wouldn’t be easy, but they could do it. It would be a happy life, filled with love and laughter, and Tiana briefly imagined little tadpoles (she bit her lip to suppress a giggle). It was the easiest thing she had ever imagined - even more than imagining her own restaurant. Strange as it seemed to her, it also made her happier than she’d ever felt before. And she knew in that moment, that if he asked her to marry him, she would say yes.

So when Naveen replied to Mama Odie, explaining that, yes he planned to ask Tiana to marry him, she was so overcome with joy that she barely registered his concerns about not having a ring, or the fact that he practically begged Mama Odie to find another way to break the curse. Even if it was just for Tiana. 

But Mama Odie had reminded Naveen that kissing a princess was the only way to break the spell, and soon after Louis had barged in, heedless of the conversation he was interrupting. 

And now days had gone by and Naveen still hadn’t asked her. Every time they were alone, Tiana wondered if this would finally be it, only for Naveen to simply show her something, or tell her a joke, or any number of things that weren’t a marriage proposal. Tiana was a patient woman by all accounts, but still there was only so long a person could wait.

“Tiana?” 

Naveen’s question brought her back to the present, and despite everything, Tiana found her heart had sped up in anticipation. “Yes?”

“What is it that you miss? About being human?”

Ah. Of course. Well, it was only fair that he asked. Tiana took her time thinking while her heart slowed back to normal. “My Mama,” she finally said, surprised by just how painful it was to think of her mother. 

The last time they had seen each other was when Tiana was leaving for Lottie’s costume party. Eudora had practically begged to let her make a more intricate costume for her daughter, but Tiana waved that aside, claiming that anything else would make it difficult to make beignets. Of course they had gotten into an argument; that same old discussion of Tiana working too hard. It was a party, and she should be going to have fun, not to work! But Tiana had promised her friend that she would make the beignets, and she wasn’t going to break it. In the end Tiana had agreed that she would  _ try  _ to step away for a minute or two to enjoy herself, but of course that hadn’t happened. 

And that was it. That was the last time she had seen Eudora. No goodbye, no I love you, so chance to say she was sorry. Tiana found herself sniffling as her eyes stung with tears. Naveen’s arm found its way around her and she happily leaned into his side. 

“I should have guessed,” Naveen said, running his hand up and down her arm. “You talk about her in your sleep.”

“I do?” Tiana had to laugh a little. She’d forgotten she did that. “Sorry about that.”

“If what you say is true, she sounds like a wonderful woman.”

“She is.” Tiana sighed and snuggled further into Naveen’s welcome arms. “What do I say?”

“Well it is all jumbled. Nothing cohesive….” He trailed off. 

Tiana pulled back enough to give him a discerning look. “Naveen.”

He smiled and gave a shrug. “Alright, so you may have mentioned a few times about you not wishing to be her mannequin anymore..?”

“She’s a seamstress,” Tiana explained, nestling back into his chest. “Mama always had me model some of the clothes she made. I was always tripping and falling on those long hems.”

Naveen let out a low chuckle, and squeezed her tight. After a moment, he asked, “Do you think she would approve of me?”

“Would she like you, you mean?”

“That too.”

Tiana lazily traced patterns on his arm with her finger. “I think she would. She was always going on and on about me finding my own prince charming.” She smiled softly. “Just imagine her surprise to find out I met a  _ real  _ prince.”

“Not much of a prince anymore,” Naveen said.

“You still are,” Tiana replied, wrapping her arms around him tight. “A Frog Prince is still a prince.” Her voice grew light, and she hoped he knew she was teasing him. He kissed her quickly, so he must have figured it out.

“We could visit her, your mother,” Naveen suggested, bringing the conversation back around. “To let her know that you are safe.”

Tiana nodded and said, “We could, but I don’t know. Mama might get a little hysterical at the sight of a talking frog.” She giggled remembering her own attempts to squash Naveen when they first met. “Probably not the best way to introduce you.”

“Ah, no,” Naveen agreed with a smile. “Definitely not the best way for your mother to meet her future son-in-law.”

Tiana gasped softly as her heart skipped a beat. She blinked and pulled back once more to meet his eyes. “What did you say?”

Naveen blinked once, then twice before an intense blush spread over his face. “Nothing,” he said quickly as he got to his feet. He walked over to a nearby tree suddenly very interested in the roots coming out of the ground. 

Grinning widely, Tiana casually followed him. “Nothing, huh?” She plucked a nearby leaf and began to tear it into sections. “Cause I sure thought I heard you say-”

Naveen turned to her. “You didn’t hear anything.”

She only smiled in response, holding his gaze. After a moment, he returned it with a smile of his own. “Alright,” he said with a slight shrug. “Perhaps you did hear something.”

Her mind went blank trying to think of a witty retort, but luckily Naveen didn’t wait for a response. He stepped to her side, linked their fingers, and brought their heads close together. Tiana’s heart was beating so loud, she was sure he could hear it. 

“There is something I wanted to ask you.”

Tiana had to concentrate hard on breathing. “Yes?” 

He bit his lip and absently stroked her hand with his thumb. A smile graced his face, and then faltered and he struggled with his words. “I…” Naveen forced out a laugh. “I had it all planned out. Louis was going to play some music. We would dance. I was going to make you a..” he swallowed, “a new ring.” Their eyes met. “Do you want to wait? To do this properly?”

Tiana shook her head, “No.” She squeezed his hands. 

He squeezed back and began. “Tiana I… I am deeply in love with you. When you are near, I hear music all around me, which of course is impossible as we are in the middle of the bayou. Unless Louis is around, and even then the music I hear is not just a trumpet, but more like an entire orchestra and sometimes there is even a choir and….” Naveen cringed. “Sorry.”

Tiana couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s okay,” she said, giving his hands another squeeze. “Keep going.”

Naveen took a deep breath and continued. “I know things have not turned out the way we would have wanted but… when I look at you… when I am with you, it feels like everything is going to be alright. No, it  _ is  _ alright, because we are together.

Happy tears were streaming down her cheek, and Tiana didn’t think she could stop if she wanted to. She sniffed, laughing despite everything as Naveen carefully brushed the tears away. 

“Above everything else, I just want to be with you, forever. Wherever that takes us.” Slowly, he got down on one knee and asked, “Tiana, will you marry me?”

“Yes.”

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a wedding takes place.

“By the power invested in me,” Mama Odie took a moment to chuckle before continuing, “I now pronounce y’all frog and wife.”

This was it. Naveen felt his heart beating frantically in his chest - from nerves or excitement, he couldn’t tell anymore. Everything he felt was meshed together in his mind and in his heart, making him unable to think of anything except Tiana. He’d barely been able to say his vows properly, he’d been so tongue tied. Tiana, bless her heart, had taken it all in stride, giving him an encouraging smile or a gentle squeeze of the hand whenever he seemed to need it most.

He took a deep, satisfying breath, willing his heartbeat to slow, before sharing a quick glance and a smile with Tiana. Once again, he was reminded of just how lucky he was. God, she was… perfect. How could there ever have been a time when she wasn’t in his life? When he hadn’t loved her? It was so hard to believe they’d only known each other for... well, he wasn’t sure exactly; the days blended easily in the bayou. Regardless, it hadn’t been long, but still, it was undeniable just how strong their connection was. Anyone could see that.

And now they were getting married. No, at this point they _were_ married. Naveen’s stomach jumped at the thought. It was the beginning of their new life together, and he couldn’t wait to get started.

“Get to it hop-a-long,” Mama Odie said. “Give your lovely bride some sugar.”

This was it. Tiana’s heart was pounding so loudly, she could hardly hear what the old woman was saying. Only Naveen’s firm grip on her hand was keeping her steady. It was all happening so fast, but Tiana had never felt more sure of anything in her life. He was just so… perfect. Of course nobody was completely perfect, Tiana knew that. But he was perfect for her, and that’s what mattered. He brought a balance to her life that she never even realized she was missing. Life with Naveen was like an adventure, and Tiana was looking forward to seeing just where it would take them next.

Naveen waved off his makeshift butterfly-bowtie, who said something that sounded like congratulations as it flew away, but Tiana wasn’t really paying attention. All her energy, her focus, was solely on Naveen. Her husband. And she was his bride. Suddenly feeling shy, Tiana offered him a small smile, but Naveen’s reassuring gaze was all she needed to pucker up and lean into him. His hand cupped her cheek and brought her the rest of the way, bringing their lips together for their first kiss as husband and wife.

At first it felt cold. Like a trickle of water was slowly dripping down from their heads, but soon it grew warm and pleasant. A comforting presence that was hard to differentiate between the person they were kissing, and maybe there was no difference, because it seemed to pull them together, tighter, like a magnet. Wisps of wind whistled through their ears, blocking out everything but each other. It almost seemed like it had voices, softly whispering to not stop the kiss, no no not yet.

Stop kissing? Ha. That was the last thing on either of their minds. Why would they ever want to stop? It was so nice. So very very nice. They sighed into each other, as they deepened the kiss, relishing the dizziness, and the weightlessness that seemed to come all at once. And still they steadied each other, his hand firmly around her waist, her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. Their other hands clasped tightly together, fingers intertwined, thumbs brushing lightly.

It was brighter now, hard to ignore even through closed eyelids. And still the kiss continued, long after they felt grounded again. The sounds of the bayou came back all at once, like a bubble had burst around them. The animals watching the ceremony were still cheering, louder now it seemed. Louis, it sounded like, was crying, while Mama Odie giggled happily. It was time to break away, but maybe just a minute longer? Neither of them wanted to, but a kiss couldn’t last forever.

It was Tiana who pulled away at last. Naveen briefly sucked on her lower lip, as if to promise that his lips would be back on hers soon. They opened their eyes, and smiled softly at each other, before they both gasped in surprise.

They were human! Thousands of questions flooded both of their minds - how was this possible? Was this really happening? Am I my old self again? Are you? It was too much to process all at once, and they were too happy to care. The urge to laugh and cry was overwhelming Tiana quickly. She was afraid to look at Naveen too closely lest she lose what little control she had over the situation, though the desire to kiss him again was surging through her. He was just so beautiful, her husband. Almost too beautiful.

So she took a few breaths and turned her attention to herself, the idea was to quickly make sure she was all here (Tiana was glad to see Naveen doing the same out of the corner of her eye), but she quickly became distracted by her wedding dress. She’d never worn anything so glamorous in her life, and even though she was wearing gloves, she could still feel this element of magic almost humming through the fabric. It was all around her, and if she concentrated hard enough, Tiana could feel it coming from Naveen too.  

All at once Mama Odie’s giggles became more pronounced, and Tiana found herself laughing as well. She had forgotten that the voodoo queen was even there.

“Like I told y’all,” Mama Odie said once their attention was on her, “kissing a princess breaks the spell.”

Naveen furrowed his brow in thought. So much had happened in such a short time, he hadn’t even thought yet about how the spell had been broken. His heart was still pounding furiously, but not from nerves anymore - he was just so… happy! There was no other way to explain it. They were married, and in love, and human! But he was supposed to be figuring out how that had happened… right.

To break the spell he had to kiss a princess, but he had only kissed Tiana, which would mean that… Tiana was now a princess? But how? Wait.  “Once you became my wife…” Naveen started, unsure at first, but then the gears clicked rapidly into place. He brightened and turned towards her. “That made you-!”

“A princess!” Tiana interrupted, having only figured it out herself a moment later. She was breathless, and almost unable to process this whole turn of events. She playfully bowed to Naveen, trying to hide her smile, but it was impossible - and why should she hide it in the first place? It was their wedding day after all. _We’re married, and the spell is broken. Kissing me broke the spell. I’m a princess, and I love him so very much._

Feeling flirty, Tiana smirked at her new husband as she grabbed his collar lightly and pulled him close. “You just kissed yourself a princess.” Her voice was sultry and teasing all at once, and it was driving Naveen wild.

He couldn’t help himself as he first cupped her chin, and then brought their foreheads together, keeping their eyes locked. “And,” he said, bringing his voice lower, making it warm and husky, “I’m about to do it again.”

Their lips met again in a sweet kiss, brief compared to their last, but certainly no less pleasant. It was broken by their laughter, which increased twofold when Naveen picked Tiana up in his arms and spun them around. Everything felt so good, it was impossible to sit still. Carefully, he placed her back on her feet, and it wasn’t long before their lips pressed against each other once more.

Little pecks at first, but they soon grew, and then Naveen found himself kissing every inch of her beautiful brown skin that he could. He relished her giggles as he left kisses along her chin and across her cheek, amazed to discover she had dimples when she smiled. There were so many wonderful things to learn about her now!

His hands were everywhere, up her back and over her arms, holding her close while his lips… oh those lips. They caressed her skin with such a fervent urgent need that Tiana had never known before. It was addicting, and Tiana realized that she would never have enough of him. Her giggles soon morphed into gasps, and then as he kissed a sensitive spot on her neck, Tiana surprised herself by letting out a soft moan.

“Now, now, children,” Mama Odie playfully scolded them. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later.”

Tiana blinked hard, clearing her head before she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. Once more she’d gotten caught up in Naveen’s kisses and forgotten they had an audience. Luckily most of the animals nearby had bashfully covered their eyes, and of course Mama Odie was blind, but anyone with ears would have been able to hear just how heavy their  kissing had become.

Embarrassed, Tiana quickly buried her head in Naveen’s chest. He chuckled lightly and held her close. Soon she was giggling too. Naveen squeezed her tight, and then everything was okay. It was amazing how easily he could change a bad situation into something else, but of course she had already known that.

“You knew this would happen, yes?” Naveen asked Mama Odie. “That we would turn human this way?”

Mama Odie cackled, clearly delighted by the turn of events. “A voodoo queen never reveals her secrets.” She patted her snake Juju on the head playfully before adding, “But I maaay have had some idea of how this would all turn out.”

That explained why after sharing the news of their engagement, Mama Odie had announced that the wedding would take place the next day. They had both been a little shocked by how fast everything was happening, but seeing as Mama Odie was the only one in the bayou who could perform the ceremony, they wanted to keep her happy. Now Naveen was very glad they had.

“But why didn’t you just tell us?” he asked.

“You young folk can never figure anything out yourself, huh? Have to be told everything point blank?” Mama Odie’s voice was rising, but it was clear she was teasing them. “Didn’t I tell y’all that kissing a princess would break the spell? It’s not my fault you couldn’t figure it out for yourselves until it was staring you in the face.”

Tiana’s arms had found their way around Naveen by now, and she gave him a squeeze after he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. It did seem rather obvious now.

“I’m just glad it all worked out,” Tiana said.

“Me too,” Naveen replied. His voice made her heart leap. It was still so unbelievable, and Tiana’s head was starting to swim from it all.

Tiana pulled back and glanced up at Naveen, hoping to find some stability there, and once again she was shocked to see that face looking down on her. It was remarkable how similar he looked to the frog she had known. That smile was the same. His eyes too. She cupped his face and brushed her thumb over one of his heavy eyebrows when a thought popped into her head; was it really him in there? She’d never seen him up close as a human before, and she had mistaken his human form once before.

No. It had to be. She would know her own husband. Right?

“Tiana?”

Her hand sprang back, surprising her. “Yes?”

“Um,” Naveen, laughed softly. “What do we do now?”

* * *

The answer, it seemed, was to find their way to Eudora. It was the logical first step. Tiana’s mother would certainly be relieved to see her daughter safe and sound, and would presumably be very interested in meeting her new son in law.

The only problem was that neither of them knew how to get back to the city in one piece. It had been much easier traveling through the bayou as frogs, but as humans… well, Tiana had only taken a few steps before stepping in mud. Surprisingly enough, however, her lilypad dress was none the worse for it. It seemed that the magic that had created the dress in the first place, was also nice enough to keep her clean, and for that she was thankful. It wouldn’t do to arrive on Eudora’s doorstep looking like she had spent weeks living in the bayou, even if that’s exactly what had happened.

Luckily, Mama Odie had a direct solution to their problem, and for once she wasn’t cryptic about it. She led them deeper into the bayou, only to end up in a muddy bog, where she pulled back some spanish moss to proudly present the sorriest looking rowboat Tiana had ever seen.

“How is it even floating?” Tiana asked, skeptically. The wood looked like it was rotten to the core, and though there weren’t any visible holes that she could see, Tiana had her doubts about it’s ability to get her and Naveen all the way back to the city. Plus it didn’t even have oars.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head, sugar,” Mama Odie replied. “This baby’s seen me through plenty of tough times over the years and has never let me down!”

Tiana shared a doubtful look with Naveen. “But Mama Odie,” she began, “there aren’t any oars. How are we supposed to-”

“All y’all need is a big, strong, swimmer to pull it for you.” Mama Odie’s voice was starting to strain. The joy over their wedding and transformation was clearly fading and being replaced by the frustration she felt having to explain every little thing to them.

This however, was pretty easy to interpret. All eyes went to Louis, who was smiling innocently while holding his tail. He blinked once, then twice before it finally sunk in.

“Me?” He asked tentatively, pointing to himself. Then he brightened. “Oh! Me! I can do it!”

Tiana smiled at that. Though Mama Odie could be a difficult person to be around, she did have her moments, and had offered them a wonderful wedding present: she had used her magic so that, even though they were human now, they could still understand Louis when he spoke to them.

Louis’ answer seemed to please Mama Odie, who then began giving detailed instructions on how to best hitch a rowboat to a giant alligator. She was not very clear, though, and so chaos quickly ensued, as tails were tied to feet, then hands somehow tied together, and then finally a big giant knot that wasn’t attached to anything.

This looked like it was going to take some time, so Tiana took the opportunity to clear her head with a stroll. Now that she knew her dress could survive the bayou, she walked with confidence, even when it resulted in stepping in a few spots that looked like solid ground but most definitely were not.

Still, it was nice to stretch her legs even for a little bit. She felt a little wobbly on her feet, and she had a slight headache - the effects of the magic that had transformed her and Naveen, she assumed.

Eventually, Tiana found herself in a little clearing surrounded by clear water. It was quieter here, and she relished the moment to just breathe. She closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply, willing her mind to relax and remember these moments of tranquility before heading back to her old busy life. Who knew how long it would be before she could come back here? She’d never really been interested in the bayou before, but now it was different. It would always have a special place in her heart, and Tiana never wanted to forget it.

Her eyes opened, and she found herself looking at her reflection in the water, still surprised to find her old self looking back at her. _I really do look like a princess._  

Tiana laughed softly. All those years as a young girl pretending to be a princess, and now she was the real thing. What would Lottie think? What about Mama?

Mama.

She still had no idea what she was going to say to her Mama, about all of this. Eudora was an open minded person, but even then it was going to be hard to explain that the reason Tiana had disappeared was because she had been turned into a frog, and the reason she wasn’t one anymore was because she had married a prince, who, coincidentally had also been turned into a frog.

Oh Naveen. Was it really him in there? What if it was someone else using more voodoo magic? She hated herself for even thinking it, but there it was, and it seemed like it wasn’t going anywhere.

While they were walking to find the rowboat, Tiana had tried to bring up the question, but the terrain had been difficult to cross, even knowing that their clothes could survive the journey, and it was taking all of her concentration not to land flat on her face. She was still wearing a hoop skirt and heels, and of course that wasn’t helping her at all. Naveen had offered to carry her through the worst of it. He was stronger than she realized, and up here, safe in his arms, well, it didn’t seem like the best time to ask her question. Instead she studied his face when he wasn’t looking, but it offered no answers for her. It was a nice view for her though.

Naveen’s voice echoed through the trees as he called out for her, and as he burst through the brush, he grinned upon spotting her.

“There you are,” he said, kissing her briefly but passionately. “What are you doing out here?”

“Just thinking,” she replied. “I needed to clear my head.”

Naveen nodded. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Tiana answered. “But-”

“Come on children!” Mama Odie pierced through the bayou. “Time’s a-wastin’!”

“The boat is ready to go,” Naveen explained, and offered her his arm. “Your chariot awaits, my princess.”

Tiana smiled softly to herself. His arm had flexed under her touch.

* * *

Getting into the rowboat was harder than it seemed, but between the two of them, they somehow managed to sit inside without it tipping over. They waved goodbye to Mama Odie and the other bayou animals, giving promises that they would come visit soon, and then they were off. Louis might not have known the way to Mama Odie’s house, but he sure knew how to get to the city. If anything they could always follow one of the riverboats, but they would rather avoid those for the moment, as neither Tiana nor Naveen knew what they would say to explain how they had gotten on this ancient rowboat pulled by a giant alligator wearing such elaborate outfits.

Just how they would explain it all to Tiana’s mother, Naveen didn’t know, but he had other pressing things on his mind just now, like kissing his wife again. He never realized what a wonderful word that was - wife - but he had never had Tiana before to associate it with before, and she made all the difference.

Now though, as they kissed, Naveen sensed that Tiana wasn’t fully there. She wasn’t kissing him like she had when they had been frogs, and she certainly wasn’t kissing him like she had this morning when they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Something was clearly wrong.

Naveen pulled back and eyed her skeptically. “What are you thinking?” he asked.

Tiana blinked, coming back to reality. “Hmm?”

“I can practically hear the thoughts going around in that beautiful mind of yours.” Playfully he tapped the side of her head, before letting his finger caress her cheek. “You clearly have something on your mind.”

Tiana bit her lip. “Is it that obvious?”

“Well, I have never had someone be so, ah… distracted when kissing me before.” He winced slightly, wishing he could stop bringing up past girlfriends in front of Tiana. His face grew serious when he asked softly, “Are you unhappy?”

“No,” she said quickly. “It’s nothing like that.”

The knot in his chest loosened, but that concerned look on Tiana’s face was still there. “But it is something,” Naveen pressed.

She lowered her eyes, and began to fiddle with her dress. Naveen itched to cover those hands with his own, to hold them tight and to cover them with kisses, but he kept his distance.

At last Tiana nodded.

“What is wrong, princess?”

The corners of her mouth twitched into a small smile before it disappeared. “It’s stupid.”

“I am sure it is not.” Naveen couldn’t take it anymore and he rested his hands over hers, giving her fingers a quick squeeze. “Please tell me.”

“I’m afraid you’ll be upset with me,” she said softly.

“What? Why?”

“Because it’s about you.”

Naveen’s stomach dropped. Maybe she was having second thoughts about everything. “Me?”

Her thumb brushed against his fingers absentmindedly as she bit her lip in thought. Tiana locked eyes with him, and whispered, “Is it really you in there?”

Naveen exhaled, relieved. He smiled gently and squeezed her hand again. “Of course it is.” He almost added ‘who else would it be?’ but after all that had happened with Lawrence, the question seemed of poor taste. He really could be anyone, and Naveen shuddered at the thought.

“If it would make you feel better,” Naveen continued, “why don’t you ask me something. Something only the real Naveen would know.”

That got her attention. “Oh. Um, okay.” Her lips pursed in thought. Oh those lips. They were practically begging to be kissed again, but Naveen held those thoughts at bay. He had to concentrate and think of everything he had ever told Tiana about himself, but that wasn’t as easy as he had hoped. He was making himself nervous, and Naveen wished he had thought of some other way to alleviate her worries.

Naveen was not the brightest growing up, and his memory was spotty at best. Though he never seemed to have a problem remembering things about Tiana, so that was something. Plus, this question would be about himself, so how hard could it be?

That twitch appeared on her lips again, though this time the smile stayed. That had to be a good sign.

“What happens,” Tiana began, “when a frog’s car breaks down?”

Oh no. A riddle. _Tiana, my love how could you do this to me?_ What if he got it wrong? She would divorce him and send him back to Maldonia where this question would haunt him for the rest of his days slowly driving him insane.

No. This could not happen. He would think about it and get it right. For Tiana. Naveen’s brows furrowed in concentration. They certainly hadn’t driven a car when they were frogs, so that wasn’t it. He couldn’t even remember talking to her about cars. Then again, why would he? There weren’t any in Maldonia so it wasn’t like he knew a lot about them. His father had ridden in one once though, and afterward would never stop complaining about it - which in hindsight was probably why there weren’t any in the kingdom. What was it he was always saying about them? He said… they were always breaking and had to be…

Naveen burst out laughing. He had figured it out. When he looked up, and saw Tiana laughing too, he knew he had the right answer.

What happens when a frog’s car breaks down?

“It gets toad away!” Naveen answered, laughing.

“Yes! It _is_ you!” And then they were kissing, difficult as it was through their laughter.

“I love you so much,” Naveen said between kisses.

“I love you, too.”

“But wait,” Naveen pulled back and raised an eyebrow. “That was the question you picked to see if it is really me? Lot’s of people could have figured it out.”

“Maybe so, froggy,” Tiana said, and playfully bopped his nose with her index finger. “But I knew you would be the only one who would find it funny.”

“Ha ha,” Naveen said sarcastically, but with a smile. His cheeks hurt from smiling so much today, but he didn’t care. “I don’t know what that says about my taste in jokes.”

“It means,” Tiana cupped his chin, and brought him close again, “that we have the same sense of humor.” She kissed him, and it was a long time before either of them spoke again.

* * *

The trip to New Orleans was luckily uneventful, though it did take a long time to get back. Poor Louis practically collapsed once they reached the docks. Tiana gave him a kiss on the cheek and promised to make a big pot of gumbo as a thank you, and that perked the gator back up.

Their joy at arriving was short lived though, once they realized that Eudora would probably be too scared of Louis to meet him right away. It seemed best to let them have a few days to explain everything before Louis could join them in the city.

It tore Tiana’s heart to pieces when he started to cry. “It’ll be just for a little while,” she said. Louis’ head was in her lap, and Tiana was gently wiping his tears away. “And then I’ll make you two pots of gumbo, okay?”

Louis sniffed, and nodded.

Naveen patted the gators back. “And I will start looking for that band you played with during Mardi Gras. I am sure they would love to play with you again.”

“But they were scared of me once they realized what I am,” Louis said, another tear slid down his cheek. “Everybody’s scared of me.”

“We’re not,” Tiana said.

Naveen nodded. “That’s right. When I find them, I will explain everything.” He glanced up at Tiana. “I can be very persuasive.”

“But what if they still don’t want me to play with them?” Louis asked.

“Well,” Tiana began, “you’ll always have a spot to play at _Tiana’s Place_.”

Louis brightened. “Really?”

“Of course, silly,” Tiana said. “How could you think for a minute that I wouldn’t want you to play in my restaurant.”

“We can play together!” Naveen said, grinning.

“But aren’t you afraid that I’ll scare away all your customers?” Louis asked.

Tiana waved that away. “Anybody that’s scared of you doesn’t deserve my food anyway.”

“Oh Tia, thank you!” Louis grabbed them both into a giant bear hug...or rather, an alligator hug.

Then at last it was time to say goodbye. The sun was setting, and Tiana wanted to get moving before it got too dark. The shadows were already long and spooky, and it wouldn’t be long before the pitch black of night took over the city, making even the simplest of shadows look like it was moving. Tiana shivered, and reminded herself that she had seen the end of the Shadow Man, though even those memories haunted her still. They really needed to get moving. With one more round of hugs and kisses, they said goodbye to Louis with the promise that they would meet up again next week.

Hand in hand, Tiana led Naveen through the city. At least the oncoming darkness hid them from the strange looks they would have gotten otherwise from wearing these outfits. Then again, this was New Orleans, where a lot of strange things happened on a daily basis, so it could be that nobody even noticed.

As they got closer to Tiana’s neighborhood, she found her thoughts spinning more inside her head. She hadn’t even realized it until Naveen spoke up.

“You are quiet again,” he said.

“Huh? Oh, sorry,” Tiana replied.

“Do you need to ask me another joke riddle?” Naveen asked, giving her hand a squeeze.

“No,” she laughed. “I know it’s you.”

“ _Paiso_ for your thoughts?” Naveen asked. At Tiana’s confused look, he clarified, “That is a one cent coin in Maldonia. What you Americans would call a penny, I believe. Did I not say it right?”

“You did,” she said. “Sorry, there’s just a lot on my mind right now.”

“Perhaps if you share it with me, I can help.”

“Okay.” Tiana paused. “I don’t know where to start.”

“Tell me more about your mother,” he said. “You mentioned a little in the bayou but, I imagine it will be easier to talk about now, yes? What is she like?”

“She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met,” Tiana answered. “Daddy left to fight in the war when I was eight, and he died a year later.” She paused to take a shaky breath. Naveen squeezed her hand again. “So Mama had to do everything by herself. I still don’t know how she did it all - raising me, and keeping our heads above water. I know it was really hard for her too. I think she hid a lot of that from me. Especially when it came to money. We-” Tiana stopped herself.

“What?” Naveen asked, softly.

Tiana stopped walking and looked directly at Naveen. “I don’t think I ever really told you, because it didn’t really matter before. Maybe you already figured it out but… well, Mama and I… we never really had much money. We still don’t. We’re kind of… poor.”

“Okay?”

“Doesn’t that bother you?” Tiana asked.

“No. Why would it?”

“Because you’re a prince! You’re used to diamond encrusted toothbrushes, and golden pillowcases. Our house is going to look like rubbish to you. Hell, it’s probably smaller than your closet.”

Gently, he placed a finger over her mouth, silencing her. “Tiana, how could you have forgotten already?”

“Forgotten what?” The tears that were stinging her eyes surprised her.

Naveen carefully wiped them away. “I promised to love you for richer, for poorer, and I meant every word.” He kissed her cheek softly. “Nothing has changed since then. Well, okay so maybe a few things have changed,” he paused as Tiana smiled softly, “but the way I feel about you hasn’t changed, and it never will.” His hand stroked her face down to her chin, which he held with his index finger and thumb. He kissed her then, long and sweet, peppered with small strokes of his tongue that made her insides turn over.

“Please do not worry about what I will think of your house, or where you grew up,” Naveen said once they pulled apart. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “I love it already because it is a part of you. It made you into the woman I love, and I would not change you for anything in the world.”

“Naveen, I do love you so,” Tiana said.

“And I love you, my princess.”

Their lips met again, but a quick flash of light followed by a slow rumble of thunder made them both look up at the sky. A storm was coming, fast by the looks of it. Tiana could smell the rain in the air.

“We should hurry,” she said, and took Naveen’s hand, leading him faster than before. Luckily they didn’t have much further to go, but the rain was coming fast. By the time they got to Tiana’s block they were running, doing their best to beat the storm.  

They stomped up the porch stairs, and just as they reached the top thunder clapped above them, releasing a torrent of heavy rain.

Tiana gave Naveen a small smile while she caught her breath. “Well,” she held her arms up, gesturing to the house, “this is it.”

He made a show of looking up and down the porch. It was a nice, solid building, complete with a porch swing, something he definitely didn’t have in Maldonia. Sure it was smaller than he was used to, but Naveen found that he didn’t mind. “I like it. It is,” he pursed his lips, “homey. Is that the right word?”

“Yes,” she dimpled. “That’s exactly right.” It was homey, wasn’t it? Tiana knew she had missed home, but she hadn’t realized she missed it this much. She almost wept at the sight of the simple doormat and the screen door that didn’t close all the way. All those little things that went into making her home a real home, but the most important one was waiting for her inside.

She rested her hand on the doorframe, wanting desperately to knock and let her Mama know she was here, but Tiana hesitated. Naveen’s hand found hers just as another clap of thunder boomed overhead.

“Do you know what you are going to say? To your mother?” Naveen asked, his voice rising to be heard over the rain.

“Not really,” Tiana replied. “What can I say except-”

The door suddenly burst open, making Tiana gasp. Eudora stood just inside, gaping at the people on her doorstep. “Tiana?”

“Mama!”

  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiana and Naveen tell Eudora their story.

“Tiana?”

“Mama!”

As Eudora pulled Tiana into a crushing hug, Naveen quietly stepped to the side, giving the two women what little privacy the small porch would allow. It wasn’t long before Eudora started to cry, and then Tiana started in as well. Naveen found himself blinking back his own tears as he wondered what his own reunion with his parents would look like.  

The last time he had seen his parents was when they had cut him off. They told him that they had been thinking of doing so for awhile, but after his recent behavior, they had ultimately decided it was for the best. Naveen felt the guilt weigh heavy on him as he remembered what he had done to deserve that punishment, and the rude things he had said to his parents before storming off in a huff. Not long after, Naveen had convinced Lawrence to use his savings to buy them tickets to New Orleans, effectively running away from his problems.

He hadn’t said goodbye, or even told his parents where he was going. Were they even looking for him? Were they worried about him? Would they be as happy as Eudora was to see him again? Naveen shifted as Tiana’s mother planted a series of kisses on her daughter’s dimpled cheeks. _Probably not._

Still, Naveen hoped they would be able to forgive him once they learned he had married an amazing woman like Tiana.

At last Eudora pulled back and cupped Tiana’s tear stained cheeks. “Babycakes, is it really you?”

 _Babycakes?_ Naveen hid his smile behind his hand. That was the cutest nickname he had ever heard, and he couldn’t wait to tease Tiana about it later. He liked her mother already.

“Yes, Mama,” Tiana laughed, sniffing and brushing away the last of her tears. If the nickname bothered her, she didn’t show it. “It’s me.”

“But how…? Where have you been? I’ve been so worried. What happened to you?  And what,” Eudora finally took in her daughter’s dress, “are you wearing?” She cooed softly as she gently felt the fabric between her fingers. “It’s gorgeous.”

“It’s a long story.” Tiana quickly glanced to Naveen, before turning back to Eudora. “Can we come inside?”

Eudora’s hand came up to her forehead as she laughed. “Yes, of course, baby. I’m sorry, I should have done that first thing.” She wrapped her arm around Tiana’s waist. “Come in, come in, out of this rain and-” Eudora paused. “Did you say we?”

Tiana took a deep breath, taking another quick glance at Naveen. “Mama, there’s somebody I’d like you to meet.”

Naveen had the sudden irrational desire to flee. Oh god, this was it. He should have warned Tiana that he had never dated a girl who’s parents liked him. Though Naveen could easily imagine her quipping that they weren’t dating, they were married and love for her swelled inside him. Maybe this time it would be different. Yes, that was it. Think on the positive side, Naveen. _As long as I don’t say anything idiotic I’ll be fine._

Of course just thinking of speaking out loud made his mouth dry up. Great.

Tiana gestured towards Naveen, and Eudora finally looked his way. When their eyes met, he offered her a wide smile, hoping it would make his slight nausea go away. It didn’t. He clung to Tiana’s hand when she offered it, stepping closer into the porch light. Eudora’s brows furrowed slightly.

“This is my… this is Naveen,” Tiana finally said.

He swallowed hard, his mind whirling for something, anything clever to say, but it was a blank. Tiana squeezed his hand gently. He cleared his throat, finding his voice at last. “Prince Naveen, of Maldonia.” Instinctively he clicked his heels and bowed low. “At your service.”

When he straightened, Eudora’s hand rested on her heart, her eyes opened wide as she gaped blatantly at Naveen not saying a word.

“Mama?” Tiana’s asked softly, taking a small step forward. “Are you alright?”

Eudora didn’t answer, but Naveen did notice her knees start to wobble and the color was draining out of her face. Her lips started to move, and Naveen had to lean in to hear her over the rain. “The p-p-prince?”

It all seemed to be getting to her fast. In one fluid motion, Eudora’s eyes rolled back into her head, and her knees buckled.

Tiana cried out. Naveen rushed forward, not aware of anything else but the desperate need to catch her before she fell. He didn’t even remember catching her, but there she was, safe in his arms. He held her firmly as his heart beat furiously in his chest, his mind blank on what to do.

Tiana was already behind him fumbling with the doorknob. “Quick,” she said. “Bring her inside.”

Yes. Ok. Yes. Inside. Yes that was the right thing to do. Naveen was grateful that his body seemed to remember how to move, because his mind was on overdrive. _Faldi faldonza, what did I do? I didn’t mean for this to happen, I’m so sorry, please be alright, faldi faldonza what did I do?_

“Here, on the couch.” Tiana’s command cut through his intrusive thoughts. She quickly cleared off the couch, leaving room for Naveen to gently lay Eudora down.

Tiana began frantically searching through a drawer, looking for what, Naveen didn’t know. Desperate for something, anything, he could do to help, he did the only thing he could think to do - he found a nearby pillow and carefully propped Eudora’s feet up.

“Here, Mama.” Tiana had found the smelling salts she had been looking for, and she waved them under Eudora’s nose. Naveen stood by her, resting his hand on Tiana’s lower back, offering her what little comfort he could.

At last Eudora blinked awake. Her eye’s focused on her daughter. “Tiana?” she croaked out.

Both Tiana and Naveen exhaled in relief. “Yes, Mama. It’s me.”

Eudora’s brows furrowed in confusion. Naveen offered her a small smile when she gave him a passing glance. “What happened?” she asked, her gaze returning to Tiana.

“You fainted,” Tiana explained keeping her voice low and soft. She brushed a stray hair off her mother’s forehead.

“Oh.”

“Are you alright?” Tiana asked.

“Yes, I think so.” The color was returning to her cheeks. Though Naveen had only met the woman five minutes ago, he thought she looked more like her old self. He exhaled again, softer this time. It looked like she was going to be alright. So much for a good first impression though.

“I’ll get you some water,” Tiana said. She pressed a kiss to her mother’s forehead. “You stay right there.”

Eudora sighed and rested her hand over her eyes. Before Tiana could make it too far, Naveen gently held her hand and kissed her palm. He was rewarded with a soft smile that made his stomach jump. How his insides had survived this day with all its surprises he didn’t know.

God she was so beautiful. He wanted to hold her in his arms, kiss her senselessly and apologize for frightening her mother, and then kiss her all over again and again and-.

Tiana rested her finger on lips, as if to quiet the thoughts inside his head. “ _Not in front of my Mama_ ,” she whispered. How did she know what he was thinking? Was it that obvious? Oh, he was still holding her hand, caressing it softly.

He gave it a parting squeeze, and reluctantly let go. Tiana bit her lip and took another glance towards Eudora, who still had her eyes closed. Oh those lips. She was torturing him. Before Naveen could do anything about it, Tiana pressed a quick kiss to his cheeks.

He chuckled softly, watching her leave. She looked over her shoulder and smirked at him before turning the corner into what Naveen assumed was the kitchen. His whole body felt lighter. Naveen wouldn’t have been surprised at all if he started walking on air.

Of course he didn’t, but no matter. He turned back to the living room with a spring in his step, having practically forgotten the frightening last few minutes. But Eudora on the couch brought it all back. She was looking at him now, her gaze was strong and clear. He didn’t think there was any danger of her fainting again but Naveen wanted to be careful just in case.

“Are you really the prince?” Eudora asked.

“Yes.” He wanted to say something clever that would make her like him. Something that could prove that he would be a good husband to Tiana, but at the same time sooth her nerves and not scare her again. Instead he simply said “Hello.”

Eudora cracked a smile and laughed. Naveen could see where Tiana got her smile from. “Hello, yourself.”

This was promising. Naveen fiddled with his cape, unsure of what to say next. So he took the opportunity to look around the room. It was small, but as he told Tiana outside, very cozy. Though the room was quite a mess - scattered newspapers littered the floor, while bits of fabric, thread, and half sewn garments were strewn about. It wasn’t at all like the clean and tidy house Tiana had described to him.

“Sorry about the mess,” Eudora said, as if hearing his thoughts. “I haven’t been myself lately. If I’d known the prince was coming I would have cleaned up.”

Eudora groaned as she tried to sit up.

“No, no. It is fine,” Naveen said. “I will straighten things up for you, yes? You stay and rest some more.”

She stared at him in disbelief, but the fear that she would collapse again seemed to be the only thing that made her nod and lie back down.

Naveen quickly got to work gathering the newspapers, and was surprised to see his own face peering up at him printed on many of the pages. The pictures were accompanied by headlines like MALDONIAN PRINCE MISSING and STILL NO TRACE OF THE PLAYBOY PRINCE. Skimming the articles, Naveen found them to be full of hearsay about his philandering past. It seems his disappearance had been a boon to the local newspapers. Naveen highly doubted that Eudora was the only one buying the papers to read gossip about him.

But why had she been buying these? The answer was tucked into a small corner. One short sentence had been underlined and circled in heavy black pen: _A missing persons report has been filed stating a local citizen has also been missing since Mardi Gras._

Tiana.

Eudora must have been scouring the news, desperate for any mention of her missing daughter, but his own disappearance had eclipsed everything else.

But just how much had Eudora read about him? Did she believe everything she had read? Even though some of it appeared to be true, this was not the first impression he had hoped to make on his new mother-in-law. At least word about his disinheritance hadn’t come out yet. Though Naveen knew it would only be a matter of time before it did, which meant that he would have to tell Tiana exactly what happened sooner rather than later. He would much rather have her hear about his stupidity from him than read about it in the paper. He only hoped she wouldn’t think less of him for it.

Tiana finally returned carrying a tray with water and plates of food. Naveen didn’t recognize the food, but who cared when it smelled so good. His stomach rumbled and he realized just how long it had been since he had eaten food cooked on a real stove.  

“Here Mama,” she said handing her mother the glass of water. “Drink this. Slowly.”

“Lord, child, I know. You don’t have to babysit me.”

Tiana handed Naveen a plate. Fish it looked like, served on top of rice. “Thought you might be hungry.”

“Yes, thank you,” he said. Their fingers brushed as he took the plate from her, sending sparks down his spine. “You made this just now?” he asked, impressed.

Tiana smiled, pleased. “It’s not that hard. I’ll show you.”

“I’d like that.”

“Alright...” Eudora butted in. Naveen felt heat rush to his cheeks. He’d forgotten she was there. “I feel like I am missing a lot here. Tiana, will you please tell me what happened?”

Tiana shared a nervous look with Naveen, who gave her a reassuring smile in return. She took a deep breath. “Ok. Well, I guess it all started the night of Lottie’s party.”

* * *

 

To Eudora’s credit, she didn’t interrupt the story, unbelieveable as it all sounded even to Tiana’s ears. Though her mother’s eyes did widen at the first mention of magic, and they almost seemed to pop out of her head when Tiana mentioned that she was in love and also married to the prince sitting beside her. By then she and Naveen had linked hands, for which Tiana was grateful, even though she did find herself being distracted by the occasional brush of his thumb.

And then the story was finished. Silence engulfed the room, save for the relentless ticking of the clock. Eudora sat with her arms crossed, rubbing her arms, a habit Tiana had picked up herself. At last the clock struck the hour (Tiana counted eleven strokes. Was it really that late already?), and then suddenly Eudora let out a subdued chuckle. It quickly grew into full on laughter. Naveen glanced quizzically at Tiana. _Is this a good sign?_ She shrugged her shoulders, having no idea.

“I must have hit my head earlier,” Eudora finally said through her laughter. “That is the craziest story I’ve ever heard.” She wiped away a tear shaking her head. “You mind telling me what really happened?”

Tiana shared another look with Naveen. “That _is_ what really happened. It’s the truth.”

“The truth.” Eudora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Tiana, this isn’t like you to be spinning fairy tales like this.”

“You mean you don’t believe us?” Tiana asked.

“Believe you?” Eudora laughed. “Of course I don’t. Why would I?”

But Tiana was stuck. What proof did they really have that all of this had happened? No matter what little evidence they offered - their clothes or the scar that was still present on Naveen’s hand - Eudora turned it back on them.

A costume shop could have had clothes like that, and Naveen could have cut his hand on anything. It didn’t prove anything.

Eudora sighed again. “Do you at least have any witnesses? For this wedding that supposedly happened?”

“Mama Odie was there,” Tiana said.

“Louis too,” Naveen added.

“Right, the 200 year old blind voodoo queen and a trumpet playing alligator. I’m sure that will hold up in court.”

“Court?” Tiana couldn’t help but ask. She felt a pit in her stomach.

“Yes, court. You think you can just go around telling people you’re married? Tiana, use your head.”

Oh no. How could this thought never even cross her mind? Tiana glanced at Naveen and was disheartened by the despair on his face that mirrored her own. “We don’t have a marriage license.”

“I’m guessing y’all didn’t get a blood test either,” Eudora said.

Their silence was all the answer Eudora needed. “Tiana, I’d like a word with you, please. In private.”

Tiana reluctantly followed, but not before Naveen gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Once the two women were alone in the kitchen, Eudora asked softly, “Are you pregnant?”

Tiana gasped and blinked in surprise. “Mama! God!”

“It’s alright, sweetheart. We’ll work it out together, okay?”

“How could you ask me something like that?”

“I don’t know, Tiana. You’ve just been gone so long, and now you’re back and...” Eudora’s voice was starting to break. “I’ve been so worried about you!” She pulled Tiana into a crushing hug.

“Oh, Mama, I’m so sorry.” Tiana hugged her mother back. “I wanted to write to you so much, to let you know that I was okay. But I couldn’t because-”

“I know, I know.” Eudora sighed as she pulled back. It was clear that she still didn’t believe their story, but she wasn’t going to fight it anymore. At least for tonight.

“I’m not pregnant, though,” Tiana said. “I can promise you that.”

Eudora let out a tired chuckle. “Well, at least we have that going for us.”

Us. Such a simple word, but it was one Tiana was very glad to hear. Despite everything they had told Eudora tonight, this meant that she was still on her team. They could get through this together.

But then suddenly Eudora hounded her with questions, each one harder to answer than the next.

Did she honestly expect to go out into the world and declare to everyone that they were married and have it be okay? Eudora wouldn’t be the only one who would think that Tiana was pregnant, and that would give her a bad reputation, and what would that mean for her restaurant? People wouldn’t want to come to an establishment owned by somebody who for all intents and purposes was basically pretending to be married. It wasn’t proper.

And what about Naveen’s parents? What about his royal duties? Was Tiana now expected to be a princess to a country she had never been to, or even heard of before? Did that mean she had to pack up her life in New Orleans and give up her dream restaurant?

Tiana had no answers for any of these questions. The happy camaraderie they had shared just a few minutes ago was gone. Her eyes started to sting with tears. Why couldn’t Mama just be happy for her? Why did she have to ruin such a happy day with her matter-of-fact reasoning?

The worst thing about all of this was that Eudora was right, and Tiana knew it. Of course she hadn’t thought about any of that when she married Naveen. They had been frogs, and neither of them expected to ever be able to change back. But now they had, and all of the complications of the human world were crashing down on them fast. Would they even be able to stay together now? Were their lives just too different to sustain this fragile beginning of a relationship?

A tear escaped and flowed down Tiana’s cheek as she started to sniffle. This was all wrong. Just when she had found a sense of happiness, it was all being taken away. Again. It just wasn’t fair!

Eudora tenderly pulled her back into her arms and shushed a weeping Tiana. “I’m sorry, baby,” she said softly. “I know love makes you do crazy things sometimes.”

Tiana looked up, hopeful. “So you really believe that we’re in love?”

Eudora sighed and brushed away a tear from Tiana’s cheek. “Out of all the impossible things you told me tonight… well, that’s the one thing that seems true.” She smirked. “It’s pretty obvious from the way you two look at each other.”

Tiana felt the corners of her mouth tug upwards. “Does this mean you approve after all?”

“Babycakes,” Eudora began. Instantly Tiana’s ghost of a smile disappeared. “Being in love and being ready for marriage are two completely different things.” She took Tiana’s hands. “I’m so happy that you found somebody, really I am. I’m sorry if it doesn’t seem like it. Y’all just surprised me, that’s all. But it doesn’t seem like you’ve thought things through, and I can’t give my blessing until you can show me that you have.”

Eudora glanced at the clock. “It’s late. I think we could all do with a good night’s sleep.” She squeezed Tiana’s hands. “That prince of yours can sleep on the couch. I don’t care how married you two think you are, there will be none of that funny business in my house.”

“Yes, Ma'am.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Despite Eudora's warnings, the next chapter rating might change to M. I haven't decided yet. Also, the next chapter might take longer because I'm actually going to visit New Orleans!!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry about the delay! Hopefully this long chapter makes up for it.
> 
> Also, now seems like a good time to give a shout out to another fanfic writer Commander (I'm sorry I don't know how to link to their page) who wrote one of my favorite patf fics of all time, Through a Stained Glass Wall. The Maldonian in that fic is so good that years and years ago I asked Commander if I could use it for my own fic that I was trying to write. Even though it's been years since they said yes, and years since I finally have been able to write the damned thing, and in between the years that I asked and really started to write this I have developed my own version of the language, I still wanted to give a shout out. Check out their page! 
> 
> Anyway, there's only a word or two of Maldonian in this chapter, but there will be more in future chapters.

Tiana had always been able to fall asleep quickly. As long as she could remember, all she had to do was rest her head on her pillow, and she would be out like a light. Nothing could wake her either, except the incessant ringing of her alarm clock. 

Now though, she found herself tossing and turning, unable to turn off her mind. Everything that had happened that day was swirling around inside her head with her mother’s words hanging over them. Thoughts of her wedding would surface, only to be dampened by the fact that there was no license to back it up. Memories of Naveen’s kisses were accompanied by Eudora’s warnings of a future scandal. 

Tiana even tried counting sheep, but the sheep quickly morphed into frogs, and she would remember that she had been under a spell less than 24 hours ago, and that the entire reason the spell had been broken was because Naveen was a prince and she had married him, which meant she was now a princess which meant….well, she didn’t know what that meant. 

With a sigh, Tiana turned to her side. Everything in her room felt so  _ normal _ . How could that be when everything about her had changed since the last time she was here? Even her body felt strange after being a frog for so long. Absentmindedly Tiana wiggled her toes under the blankets, marveling at how small they felt while the rest of her body felt giant. Not gangly, but just  _ big.  _

Did Naveen feel the same way? Tiana really wished she could talk to him, not just about the spell they had been under, or about the worries that were keeping her awake, but just anything. She needed to hear his voice. She needed him to tell her that it would all be okay. The staircase that was separating them had never felt so infinite. 

And then there were those thoughts that were at the back burner of her mind, that no matter what Tiana did they still lingered - what if this had all been a dream? The normalcy of her room kept reinforcing the notion, no matter what her body was feeling, or the memories that tugged at her brain, or the way her pulse raced whenever her mind strayed to the thought of the prince who may or may not be sleeping one floor below her. Which it did fairly often. 

But even with all that, the whole story was so unbelievable. A spell that had turned her into a frog, trumpet playing alligator, and fireflies who became stars? Ha. And the most far-fetched was that someone (a prince to boot!) had fallen in love with her, and had married her just that morning. Tiana, who everyone knew was plain and boring, and too inconsequential for anyone to notice. 

Tears stung her eyes, and she hastily wiped them away. This was getting ridiculous. Tiana sat up. She needed… she needed a glass of water. Yes. That would help her get some sleep. And the fact that she had to go downstairs to get it was just a coincidence. Just like the fact that to get to the kitchen she had to pass through the living room. Just a mere happenstance, that’s all. 

At least she would be able to set her mind at ease about one thing tonight. If Naveen was there and was sleeping, she wouldn’t wake him, strong though the temptation might be. If he was awake, they could talk a little about what to do next. And if he wasn’t there? Tiana felt her heart break just from the thought. She didn’t know what she would do if he wasn’t there, but she had a feeling it would involve crying a lot. 

Tiana secured her robe around her waist, and stepped into her slippers, trying to ignore the panic that was welling up inside her. He just had to be there, right? 

_ Well, I’ll find out one way or the other,  _ she thought. Tiana held her breath as she opened her door and slipped out into the darkness. 

This wasn’t how Naveen had imagined his wedding night. Not that he imagined it much to begin with, mind you, but occasionally it had crossed his mind whenever he bedded a particularly beautiful woman. And then he met Tiana, and, well, the image of wedding nights made more frequent visits to his mind. 

Still, no matter when he had imagined this night, they all had one thing in common: he was actually with his wife. 

Naveen let out a pitiful sigh as he gazed longingly at the stairs. She was just up those twenty or so steps. If he could only…

The rational part of his brain (which was still miraculously functioning) would pipe in, reminding him that he didn’t know which room was Tiana’s, and if he went into the wrong room there would be hell to pay. He would not make such a disastrous mistake now, not when everything felt so fragile. 

But he hated thinking of her lying in bed, alone, tonight of all nights. Was she awake, too? Was she waiting for him?

He sighed again, trying to get comfortable, though he knew he wouldn’t get any sleep tonight. Even if he wasn’t plagued with a constant state of arousal coursing through his entire body, this couch was the lumpiest couch he had ever had the displeasure to lay on. Naveen would have traded it for the ground in the bayou in a heartbeat. At least there his feet hadn’t been sticking up in the air because the damned couch was too small. At least there he had been with Tiana, and could kiss her and hold her all night. 

He rolled his eyes at himself. Was he really wishing he could be back in the bayou as a frog because he was a little lonely and uncomfortable here on the couch? 

Still, if they were frogs Naveen knew he would be holding her close right now. Just the thought sent another wave of longing through him. But it wasn’t just arousal this time - he missed her. 

It was strange to think, as it had only been an hour or two since they had gone to bed, but there it was. They had slept side by side throughout their entire time in the bayou, and if he wasn’t holding her when they first fell asleep, they always awoke in eachother’s arms. 

That must be what he was longing for - the way she nestled into him whenever he put his arm around her, the way she talked in her sleep, that utter completeness he felt whenever they were together. 

Naveen’s gaze fixed on the stairs once more. If he could just make it up those few stairs, he could hold her for a little while. He could kiss her. Naveen hadn’t even  been able to kiss her goodnight, so surely that would be alright. And if she wanted to do a little more, then maybe…

He groaned, restlessly running his hands through his hair. He had to stop thinking like this! He couldn’t go to her, there was too much at risk! He didn’t have protection! He… he…. 

He didn’t want their first time to be like that. 

Tiana deserved more than a quick romp in the sheets, their hushed voices urging the other to be quiet, while all the while keeping an ear perked for any possible noise from the other room. It would be hurried and rushed and after… after he would have to leave. 

He couldn’t even bare the thought of leaving her side after making love to her. It tore his heart in two just imagining it. Naveen needed to stay with her, holding her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear until the sun rose in the morning. Anything else seemed so  _ ugly.  _

Their first time together shouldn’t be rushed. They should have all the time in in the world to explore each other and learn their rhythms. He wanted to give himself to her fully. 

Which meant, Naveen sighed forlornly, he had to stay put. No matter how inviting the idea was, he wanted to start this marriage off right; even if it technically wasn’t a legal union, yet.

This was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

Once more he closed his eyes, attempting to think of anything but his wife one floor above, but the creaks and groans of this house were louder now. It even sounded like someone was walking around upstairs. But then Naveen heard the soft click of a door opening, and soft footsteps coming slowly down the stairs. 

Of the two possible people who would be coming down, Naveen guessed it would be Eudora. He hadn’t known her long, but she seemed like the type of mother who would make sure that he hadn’t ventured into places she wouldn’t approve of. 

Glad that he hadn’t ventured upstairs, Naveen quickly closed his eyes and pretended he was asleep. It seemed like a better plan to have Eudora think he wasn’t being kept awake by lust all evening. 

But the soft voice in the darkness didn’t belong to Eudora, and when he heard her softly whisper his name, Naveen’s eyes popped open. 

“Tiana?” he whispered back, suddenly feeling wide awake as the adrenaline worked it’s way through him. 

She gasped softly, but Naveen could practically hear the smile on her lips. It mirrored his own. “Naveen!” 

They blindly reached for each other in the dark, their fingers aching to touch one another, but their heads found the other first with a loud  _ clonk.  _

Their soft curses were soon replaced by suppressed giggles, and then Naveen was peppering her forehead with kisses. 

“Did I hurt you, my love?”

“No,” Tiana whispered. She cupped his cheeks and marveled at the face grinning down at her. 

Naveen chuckled and gently rested his forehead against hers. “What is it?” His arms were around her now, holding her close. 

“It’s just that - you’re real.” 

“Were you afraid I wasn’t?”

“Maybe a bit,” Tiana confessed. Her fingers were tracing over his jaw now, and when they circled his ear, Naveen shivered in delight. “It all felt too impossible to be real.”

The nearness of her, her touch, her scent,  _ that voice,  _ was getting to him fast. He wanted her, and all thoughts of waiting for a better moment were gone from his mind. 

“Oh, I’m real, alright,” he whispered in her ear. Now it was Tiana’s turn to shiver, and Naveen delighted in it. “Let me show you how real I can be.”

Naveen held her tightly to him as their lips met in a fiery kiss. With only her nightgown and robe on her, Tiana might as well have been naked. She surprised herself by pushing and pressing her breasts and hips against him. Combined with the yield and wetness of her mouth, it gave the embrace a certain persuasion. It was like nothing Tiana had ever known. It was like she was kissing not simply with her lips, but with every nerve in her body. 

As Naveen’s hands moved down her back, her waist, her rear, Tiana found it was too much, and her knees buckled underneath her. But his grip around her was strong, and they awkwardly shuffled towards the couch. 

Tiana’s entire body had turned into jelly, and she clutched onto him, as he guided her until she was lying on her back. The pressure of his kisses and his body sent a warm ache humming through her body, making her dizzy. She clutched him again, running her fingers through his hair, letting her hands explore his arms, his chest, hoping that he would ground her, that it would help stop her body from shaking. But she could feel his muscles through his thin nightshirt, and that wasn’t helping at all. 

Naveen’s hands seemed to be everywhere at once. He caressed her face, her hair, sliding down her back, her waist. When a hand slid under the hem of her nightgown Tiana was surprised by the whimper that came out of her, feeling his hot hand on her bare thighs. He traced all along her delicate skin between her thighs and along the edges of her underwear. Tiana gasped as he dipped into the waistband of her undies and cupped the crisp curls between her legs. 

They pulled apart, breathing hard, their hearts thumping. Naveen locked eyes with Tiana, hesitant. 

“Tiana,” he breathed. 

“Please,” she begged, and reached out to cup his face, finding it in the dark, finding his lips. She kissed him again, hard, and parted her legs, opening herself to the delicate slide of his fingers. 

The gasp escaped her lips before she even had a chance to fight it. But by then she had forgotten about the need to stay quiet, forgotten about her mother upstairs, forgotten about everything except for Naveen. His touch and his kisses drew her on, on past caution, past care. Her hips began to move to match the rhythm of his nimble fingers working in and out of her sensitive flesh. His thumb brushed and teased her, making her moan into the kiss, making her nudge her hips all the harder. 

His fingers curled inside her, hitting her most sensitive spot. Tiana cried out as shockwaves coursed through her, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Their mouths were tight together, and Naveen took in the cry like a breath, making it his own. 

His fingers were still moving inside her as she hitched and jerked in his arms. The pleasure was almost unbearable. 

Mercifully, he withdrew his fingers, and eased his lips from hers. Tiana couldn’t seem to catch her breath as he nuzzled against her forehead and held her close. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest as she nestled against him. The reality of their situation suddenly dawned on her. What had they just done? They must be crazy! But the pleasure that was still flowing through her… well, that outweighed everything didn’t it?

“Tiana?” Naveen whispered, kissing her neck, lingering on the soft skin. “Are you alright?”

It took her a moment to realize he had asked her a question, to remember that words were a thing, and that he was waiting for her to respond. But Tiana’s tongue felt heavy and clumsy after swirling it around Naveen’s for so long. She swallowed, and could only manage a soft, “Huh?”

“You’re trembling.” 

“Oh.” She was shaking at that. How could Tiana not have realized? There were so many things to feel right now, too much to comprehend all at once. “I’m - I’m okay,” she answered, finding her voice at last. She could feel heat rushing to her cheeks as he kissed and nuzzled against her neck. 

His hands were moving again, slowly up and down her back, but that didn’t erase the memory of what they had  just been doing. Tiana shivered a little more, and scooted a precious centimeter closer to him. Their bodies were now so tangled up, she couldn’t tell where hers stopped and his began. 

“I’ve never -” she began, and stumbled. “I mean, that was my…” Tiana trembled again as the echoes of her pleasure rippled through her one last time. “Am I drunk?”

Naveen let out a breathy chuckle. “No.” He was playing with her hair now, as much as he could with it still being pulled back. “You know what it is, yes?”

Did she? She’d certainly never touched herself there before - that’s what bad girls did! But how could it be bad when it felt so good? “I never knew it could be like that,” she finally said.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” 

“Did you like it?”

Another shiver, followed by a shaky breath. She was blushing heavily now, she could feel it. But it didn’t really matter, did it? Suddenly feeling shy, Tiana buried her face in his chest, and nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. 

Naveen kissed her forehead, kissed her cheek, lingering on her dimple as she smiled. “Tiana?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

Her toes curled, and she pulled back. A finger gently traced down his face. “I love you, too.” And just like that they were kissing again. But before things got heated again, Naveen pulled back. 

“Tiana, wait.” He was out of breath, and she was too. Maybe that’s why the next words out of his mouth were so surprising. “I think we should stop.”

She blinked. “Stop?”

Naveen took a deep breath. They had already gone further than he had wanted to, so he had to explain. But his brain was fuddled from her kisses, and from the memory of that lovely noises she had made as she climaxed (oh how he wanted to hear that sound again). So instead of a well formatted explanation, he blurted his argument out in the simplest terms his brain could allow.  “I don’t want to have sex with you.”

“You don’t-” Tiana was struggling to comprehend what he was saying as her eyes filled with tears. “- you don’t want me?”  

Naveen immediately realized his error. “No!” Tiana’s eyes widened, and Naveen began backpedalling. “I mean, yes, of course I do!”

“But what about…?” She couldn’t form the words to describe what they had just done, the afterglow of her climax was quickly fading away.

He cringed slightly. “We may have taken things too far.”

“You mean it was a mistake?” 

Oh god, he was just making everything worse. “No! Of course not!” 

Tiana ignored him, hastily brushing tears away as she sat up and moved away from his embrace. “If you think I’m ugly just say so.”

“What?”  _ Faldi faldonza.  _ “Tiana, you’re the most beautiful-”

“I know I’m bad at this sort of thing, but I didn’t think it mattered.” 

“It doesn’t!” He reached for her, but she shrugged him off. “But you are very good-”

“But you still don’t want me?” Tiana was hugging herself tightly now, a gesture he was beginning to recognize. How could he make her understand?

“Tiana.” He reached for her again. She didn’t shy from his touch this time, so he tilted her chin up until their eyes met. He softly brushed a tear away. “Tiana, I want you. I want you so much I can hardly breathe.” 

“All I can think about is lying with you, having you beneath me, naked, while I make you scream in ecstasy. I want to kiss every inch of your body. I want to be inside you and feel you pulsing as we join together in that ultimate pleasure. I want to take you again and again, until we are both so sore we can hardly stand one more second, and even then we keep going because even one second apart is like death.”

Their foreheads were touching now. Naveen could feel the heat in her cheeks. The desperate need to kiss her senseless filled him once more, but he held back. He found her hand and linked their fingers together, bringing their joined hands to his lips, and kissed the sweet knuckles of her hand. 

“What I mean is, I want to be the best version of myself for you. I don’t want to be the kind of person who sneaks around anymore. I don’t want to rush through things with you, and I don’t want to be anxious about someone finding us together. I want to be in a real bed so we don’t have to worry about falling off the couch.” 

Tiana snickered at that, and Naveen broke into a grin. 

“What I said earlier… what I meant was that I don’t want to just have sex with you. I want to make love to you. I want us to be intimate together, as husband and wife.”

Tiana was crying again, and Naveen panicked for a moment, terrified he has still said the wrong thing. But then she threw her arms around him, kissing his cheek, his jaw, his neck, before resting her head on his shoulder. 

“I want that, too,” she said, sniffling. “I love you. I’m sorry, I-”

Naveen shushed her gently, planting a chaste kiss on her lips. “I am the one who should apologize.” He rubbed his nose against hers. “I’m sorry, princess.” Another kiss. “I love you, too.”

They held each other close, until their breathing became normal and steady once more. Tiana pulled back, tucking an errant curl behind her ears. She shared a shy smile with her husband, before glancing to the nearby clock. 

“How did it get to be so late?” she asked.

Naveen smirked. “Time flies, as they say.”

“Yes, they do.” Tiana tried to suppress her grin, but doing so only made her giggle. Everything felt so good it was impossible to keep it all in. Still… “Maybe it’s time I headed back upstairs.”

Naveen’s face fell. “What?”

Tiana shrugged. “If we’re not going to sneak around, then there’s no reason for me to be down here, is there?”

Naveen tsked at her. “Why Miss Tiana, you mean to tell me that you came down here only to kiss me?” He chuckled. “And I thought I was the playboy in this relationship.”

“No!” Tiana baulked. “I came downstairs because I just wanted to get a glass of water.”

He pulled her back into his arms, bringing their faces close together once more. “And how was that glass of water, hmm?” 

“Very refreshing.”

Their lips brushed softly. 

“Stay with me,” Naveen whispered. “Just for a little longer. Please?”

Maybe it was the way his breath tickled her skin, or the way his eyes looked as those thick dark lashes of his swept low as he looked down at her, but Tiana found it impossible to deny his request. “Okay,” she conceded. “But just for a little while.”

They settled once more on the couch, cuddling face to face, their arms and legs wrapped up in each other. 

“You really are a bad influence on me,” Tiana teased as Naveen arranging the blanket over them.

He let out a soft laugh. “You are more than welcome to go upstairs anytime you like. I won’t stop you.” 

Tiana raised an eyebrow at him. “This coming from the man who just begged me to stay?”

“I did not beg. I asked politely.”

“Ah, well, that makes all the difference then.”

“Obviously.”

She giggled, nestling in his embrace. 

“Any regrets?” Naveen asked.

She knew he was asking about staying down here with him, but Tiana’s mind thought back over the past few hours. Their marriage and the heartbreak that seemed to follow as they realized it wasn’t going to be as easy as they thought. But even now, Tiana felt happy. Content. How was he able to do this to her? Normally she would be bouncing off the walls, making lists and worrying herself sick. But here with Naveen she felt relaxed, despite all the problems that awaited them. 

Regrets? She kissed his lips. “None whatsoever.” Tiana smiled as she finally rested her head on his arm.

“Comfortable?”

“Mhmm.”

“Good.” Naveen gave a happy sigh and gently stroked a finger down her cheek. “You know, one of the worst things about being frogs was that I thought I would never see this face again. Don’t get me wrong, you were very cute as a frog, but now,” his fingers lightly traced over her skin, memorizing every contour, “you’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

She pressed her palm over his heart, feeling it beat strongly in his chest. After her foolish outburst earlier, Tiana felt silly having him call her beautiful, though it was still appreciated. Still, she’d never been good at accepting compliments, unless it involved her cooking. Usually she would turn it into a self deprecating joke, but now didn’t seem like the time. Tiana just decided she would change the subject.

“You know something?” Tiana said, moving her hand up to his hair, twirling it slowly between her fingers.

“Hmm?”

“You were right about your hair,” she said. At his raised eyebrow Tiana clarified. “In the bayou, you said-”

“I remember now,” he said, laughing. “I’m very glad you like it, princess.”

_ Princess.  _

The word sliced through her, popping the contented bubble she had been in. She didn’t know the first thing about being a princess. She didn’t even know where Maldonia was! There was no way she was anyway qualified for it, and even if she was, what did that mean for her dream restaurant?

“Naveen?” she asked softly. “What are we going to do?”

He yawned. “Mmm? About what?”

“Us. Everything.” Tiana’s heart was sinking just thinking about it. She clung to Naveen, desperate for him to keep her from drowning in it all. ‘ _ Make it better,’  _ she thought. ‘ _ Make it better like you always do.’ _

“Everything? That is a tall order,” he quipped. 

“You know what I mean,” Tiana replied. 

“I do.” Naveen kissed her temple. “Do not worry  _ mi sitara lu’seinn _ . It will come out right in the end.”

“But how?” Even his kisses couldn’t keep away the dread that was building inside her. “Usually I know exactly what to do to get to where I want to go, but now,” Tiana sighed. “I haven’t the slightest idea.”

He kissed her again, this time on the lips. “First thing tomorrow, I will write a letter to my parents to tell them the good news. After they give their blessing, we can get a marriage license, and whatever else the law requires us to do.”

There. That cloud of hopelessness was lifting. He made it sound so easy. How was it possible that a few hours ago her stomach had been churning with hundreds of anxieties? And now Tiana could almost see that light at the end of the tunnel. 

But the mention of his parents threatened to bring it all back to her. There had been so many other things to worry about, she hadn’t even spared a thought to them. “Do you think they’ll like me?” Tiana asked. 

Naveen gave her a soft smile. “They will love you, though not as much as I do. That is impossible.”

She laughed, but pressed on, eager to alleviate all her worries. “Even though I’m not a princess?”

“First of all,” Naveen said, “you  _ are _ a princess, or the spell would not have broken.” He kissed her quickly before moving on. “Besides, I do not think there is a law dictating that I have to wed someone born to royalty.”

“You mean you don’t know? Isn’t that kind of important?” Tiana asked. 

“It may not surprise you, but I was not the best student growing up,” Naveen said, giving her a half smile. “There are many Maldonian laws that I do not know.” 

“But in my defence,” he continued, “Maldonia is hundreds of years old, so it is nearly impossible to know everything.” Naveen tucked a curl behind her ear. “Even if we are the first marriage like this, I am sure there is a law on our side.” He chuckled softly. “We have a law for everything.”

Tiana asked softly, “And if there isn’t?”

Naveen shrugged. “My father is the king. He can change any law he likes.”

Tiana’s fingers curled tight around Naveen’s nightshirt as she realized just how powerful her in laws were. How powerful Naveen was. Lying in his arms like this, it was easy to forget that he really was a prince. Until now it had just been a simple word to describe him, but now it was becoming more real.

“Will we have to move there?” Tiana asked after a pause. “To Maldonia?”

“No,” Naveen answered firmly. “Not unless you want to.”

“But-”

“Tiana, your family is here. Your dream is here. I could never take that away from you.” He found her hand in the darkness, grasping it tight. “And I will fight anyone who tries.”

She wanted to believe him, she really did. “But we’ll have to move eventually, won’t we?” When Naveen became king, how could he stay here? How could she run a restaurant when she would be at his side as his queen?

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “As I said, there are many things I do not know about Maldonian law. But my parents do, and I will ask them in my letter.” Naveen pressed his lips against hers in a soft, sweet kiss. “Please do not worry, princess. You will never have to give up your dream. I promise.”

Now that, Tiana believed. “Thank you,” she whispered, and sealed that promise with another kiss. 

“Now,” Naveen said, “tell me more about your plans for the kitchen of your restaurant.”

“You don’t really want to hear that, do you?” Tiana asked. 

“Yes I do,” he replied. He was playing with her hair again. A curl had escaped, and Naveen was twirling it around his finger. “If I am going to help you build it I should know as much as I can. Plus,” he grinned, “you are so cute when you talk about your dream. I could listen to you talk about it all day.”

The smile that spread over her lips was irresistible. Naveen had to fight the urge to kiss her again, but she had already gotten swept up describing the ideas she had for her restaurant. Naveen asked the occasional question, but for the most part he was content to listen to his wife. 

As the night went on, their conversation grew slower, and softer as the weariness of the day settled in. Their troubles forgotten, at least for now, they were happy and content. Wrapped up in each other’s arms they eventually drifted off to sleep.

* * *

In the morning they woke with a start.

“Oh my god!” Eudora cried out.

  
  
  
  



	6. Chapter 6

All at once, even before she opened her eyes, Tiana realized three things: she had inadvertently fallen asleep on the couch last night, she was snuggled deep in Naveen’s arms, and Mama had found them.

With a start, Tiana sprang away from the couch, scrambling to hide any evidence of their embrace. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, as she tried in vain to come up with any sort of excuse for why she had been sleeping in Naveen’s arms. But her sleep addled brain couldn’t think of anything.

“Nothing happened, Mama,” Tiana said simply.

Naveen was quickly following her lead, but the blankets caught around his legs. He fell onto the floor with a loud bang. He cursed himself for letting this happen, but it had been so nice last night. Still, Naveen knew better than to have fallen asleep without sending her back upstairs. This is exactly the kind of thing he had been trying to avoid.

“It is not what it looks like!” He offered, then cursed again as the blankets seemed to constrict on his feet. Naveen kicked at them in frustration, finally breaking free.

He finally stood next to Tiana, with his heart racing he followed her gaze to the front door where Eudora’s voice had come from. Naveen blinked in surprise. Eudora wasn’t even looking at them. Her eyes wide with fright, as a giant shadow fell across the front hallway.

Naveen’s stomach dropped. Was it the shadows? But how? And why would they seek him now, weeks after Facilier had disappeared? Unless the Shadow Man was back somehow.

He felt his knees start to shake, despite himself. He knew what those shadows could do, and he also knew he was powerless to stop them. Naveen spared a backwards glance at Tiana, and he could tell she was thinking the same thing.

She stood frozen to the spot, her eyes wide with fear, but still looking so beautiful even in her rumpled sleep clothes and mussy hair that Naveen felt his heart go out to her. He knew he would do whatever he could to protect his wife and mother in law from the thing on the other side of the door.

He inched his way closer to Eudora, slowly so as not to startle her anymore than she was. Out of the corner of his eye, Naveen saw Tiana grab a fire poker. Well, at least he knew he had some back up.

At last Eudora glanced over. “Don’t come any closer,” she warned. Her voice was low. Naveen thought he detected a slight tremor in it.

“What is it?” He whispered.

“There’s a giant gator outside,” Eudora told him. “Big enough to eat all three of us.”

“A gator?” Naveen paused, feeling some of his tension release. “You mean an alligator?”

Eudora frowned, looking so much like Tiana he could have laughed if everyone hadn’t been so on edge.

Before she could chastise him, Naveen peeked outside. He let out a huge breath and broke into a grin.

“Don’t-!” Eudora cried out as Naveen opened the door. She covered her eyes, expecting the prince to be this creature’s next meal. How could she ever explain to the Maldonian king and queen that - ‘yes, your son stopped by my house but then I let him be eaten by an alligator the next morning. So sorry about that.’

But when she peeked through her fingers, the gator had lifted Naveen into the air into a heartfelt embrace. Naveen was laughing, and so, god help her, was the alligator.

Tiana was by her mother’s side now, and gently rested her hands on her mother’s shoulders. “It’s only Louis, Mama.”

While Eudora was taking it all in, Tiana rested her hands on her hips. “Louis, what are you doing scaring us half to death?”

Carefully Louis set Naveen down. He twisted his tail in his hands. “I was lonely.”

Lonely. Of course. Tiana shook her head, feeling so relieved that it was only Louis. Of course the shadows hadn’t come back for them. Why would they, with the Shadow Man gone? But Tiana didn’t want to think of that just now. She pushed it out of her mind and concentrated on her mother, who looked like she was about to faint again.

Eudora gasped softly, her hand over her heart. “ _It talks_.”

Tiana squeezed her mother’s shoulders lightly, remembering how unnerved she had felt after Stella had spoken to her. Though Eudora seemed to be doing remarkably well, all things considered. “It’s alright, Mama. He won’t hurt you.” Tiana turned to the gator and asked, “Louis, would you like some breakfast?”

The gator grinned, and before any of them could say anything else, he pushed past them to the kitchen.

Naveen shouted after him. “Louis be careful. Watch out for that-!” He flinched as the sound of glass breaking filled the silence in the air. Eudora just stood, her mouth slightly agape.Tiana squeezed her shoulders again.

Naveen offered a sheepish grin at the two women. “I will, um. Make sure he doesn’t break anything else.”

Eudora glared at Tiana once Naveen had shuffled back after Louis. “First a prince shows up on my doorstep, then an alligator. If something else shows up here tomorrow, Tiana, so help me…”

* * *

 

If this was the strangest breakfast Eudora had ever had (it was) she didn’t show it. Though she did sit as far away from Louis as possible. All those teeth were making her uneasy, even though he was perfectly content eating the omelets Tiana made.

With a full stomach, Louis settled in the corner for a nap, and Eudora was forced to admit to herself that he was pretty cute for an alligator.

Tiana was glad when Naveen offered to help wash the dishes. Even though she had to show him how to do it first, this would show Mama what a good man he was. Sure Naveen had a lot to learn, but he was willing to do it. That had to mean something to Eudora, and, Tiana hoped, would mean that she wouldn’t lecture them too much. At least right now.

But Eudora didn’t start to lecture them. It was more like an interrogation.

When Eudora mentioned last night, Tiana’s stomach dropped, afraid that her mother really had found them on the couch this morning. But fortunately she merely wanted to know what their plan was going forward. Tiana sighed in relief. She didn’t know how much more of this emotional roller coaster she could take.

“I assume you’ve thought about what we talked about last night,” Eudora said. “At least I hope you have.”

Despite her best efforts, Tiana couldn’t remember anything about last night except for their more intimate time on the couch. She felt her face flush remembering the way his body had felt against hers. She could still feel the hard pressure of his thigh, the warmth of his breath on her cheek.

Under the soapy water their fingers brushed. Last night in the dark, those sure confident fingers… they had been _inside_ her.

Never had Tiana been so glad to be washing dishes, facing away from her mother. At least she knew she could blame the way her cheeks were flaring on the heat of the water. Though Eudora would hardly buy that excuse.

She glanced up at Naveen, silently pleading for his help. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments. The way he was looking at her made her think he was remembering  those moments from last night too.

Luckily Naveen was able to articulate their small, but somewhat efficient plan to Eudora, though there were still some other things to figure out, and she would not let up until they had. Sure Naveen would write to his parents, but what would they do while waiting to hear back from them?

As they sat down to discuss the matter, Naveen felt himself getting more and more crushed by the revelations. There was no way they would be able to say that they were married without starting a major scandal. For both their sakes they would have to pretend not to be, which meant that Naveen needed to find somewhere else he could stay.

Stay away from Tiana? Not even allowed to say that they were married? It was heartbreaking to think that hardly 24 hours into their marriage, it was already falling apart. But what solution could he offer to fix it?

So when Eudora suggested that Tiana ask Lottie if Naveen could stay there (that’s where he was going to stay originally, she offered. It just made sense) he grudgingly accepted. He watched Tiana mull it over, and as she bit her lip in thought, Naveen realized he hadn’t even kissed her this morning. He wanted to be in bed with her, slowly and tenderly making love, not here in the kitchen discussing ways to hide their marriage from the world. Just the thought made him want to weep in despair.

Tiana was hesitant to agree to Eudora’s suggestion, Naveen could tell, but at last she nodded. “I need to talk to Lottie anyway,” she said. “And while I’m there I can find something more suitable for you to wear,” Tiana teased Naveen.

He gave her a soft smile back. Hopefully they still had all of his clothes there.

Once they had that taken care of, there would be a few more errands to run, most notably going to the police station to say that they weren’t missing anymore.

“Well,” said Eudora, seemly satisfied she sat back in her chair. “Sounds like you’ve got a lot to do today.”

“I’d better go get dressed, then” Tiana said, simply, before she headed upstairs to get ready for the day.

* * *

 

By the time Tiana was dressed and back downstairs, Naveen was already set up at the table with a pad of paper and a pencil for his letter to his parents.

Gosh he looked cute, bent over his writing, concentrating on it like it was the most important letter he had ever written in his life. The scholarly look was diminished by his mussy hair and his wrinkled sleep shirt though. He hardly looked like the princes in the storybooks she’d grown up with.

And that made him seem all the more beautiful.

“I’ll be back soon,” Tiana announced, trying not to ruin his concentration, but delighted when he put his pencil down and came to her side.

“You’re leaving already?” Naveen replied,pulling her into a casual embrace.

Tiana linked her fingers behind his neck, glad that Mama wasn’t around. “There’s a lot to do, and you can’t go anywhere until you get some proper clothes, mister,” Tiana giggled despite herself.

“Hmm, I suppose you are right.” Naveen’s soft smile made her heart leap. “But  you wouldn’t leave without kissing your husband goodbye, would you?” He pulled her close and nuzzled at her cheek.

Despite the delightful shiver that traveled down her spine at the way his stubble scratched lightly against her skin, Tiana felt her heart break. For all intents and purposes, as soon as she left this house, they would no longer be husband and wife.

It wouldn’t be forever, Tiana told herself. Just for a little while. Still, if she had known they would only have one day together …

Involuntary tears started to stream down her cheeks. Frustrated, Tiana brushed them away. The last time she had cried so much was when her Daddy died. She was just tired of it. All she wanted to do was be happy with Naveen, but the world kept getting in the way. Why did everything have to be so difficult?

Seeming to sense her discontent, Naveen gently brushed a tear aside with his thumb. “Don’t cry, princess.”

“I’m sorry,” Tiana sniffed. “It just feels so final. Like I really am kissing my husband goodbye.”

Naveen wrapped his arms around her, squeezing gently. “I will still be here when you return.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I know, I know.”

“I don’t like this anymore than you do, love,” Naveen said, tucking a curl behind her ear. “But it will be alright. It has to be.”

Tiana nodded with a sigh and rested her head on his chest. It was so lovely to be in his arms like this.

“Now,” Naveen tilted her chin up and gave her a lopsided grin. “How about that kiss?”

Tiana laughed. Her hands slid up his chest and settled behind his neck again. “You’ve certainly got a one track mind,” she teased.

Naveen shrugged, letting his own hands rest comfortably on her waist. “What can I say? It’s hard to think of anything else when you are near.”

She came closer, rubbing their noses together, brushing her lips against his, teasing him while she whispered. “Maybe it’s a good thing I’m going then.” Another light kiss against the corner of his mouth. “You’ll be able to concentrate on that letter.”

Naveen shivered, chasing her kisses. “You won’t stay away too long though? Promise me you’ll hurry back.” He inhaled softly and whispered, “I need you.”

At last, Tiana tipped her head slightly to one side and kissed him. His lips were soft and warm and moist, and she could taste the faint trace of their breakfast still lingering there. But how could she concentrate on that when his tongue was sliding into her mouth? She felt a pleasure so exquisite that she almost forgot about everything else.

And then their faces were a few inches away, though her hands lingered on either side of his face, her fingers pushing into his hair. They smiled softly at each other as they tried to catch their breath. Naveen’s eyes kept darting down to her lips. What she wouldn’t give to keep kissing him, but they had so much to do, and Eudora would walk in on them at any moment.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to stay for a few minutes more. Tiana laughed to herself. What was she turning into? She’d never behaved like this before. But then he smiled at her again, and once more Tiana’s inside’s melted. No wonder people did crazy things when they were in love.

Slowly, she traced a finger along his jawline. His stubble was coming in already. Her skin still felt raw from the way it had rubbed against her when they kissed. She wanted to feel it again. Instead she said, “You need a shave.”

Naveen rubbed his chin. “Yes, I suppose I do. I will take care of it while you are out.” He kissed her again, chastely, and then once more, lingering on her soft lips. “Hurry back, princess.”

She shivered. “I won’t be long,” Tiana said, and stumbled out the door on wobbly legs with a grin on her face.

* * *

 

Normally Tiana took the streetcar to Lottie’s house. It didn’t cost much to ride, and her feet were always grateful for a rest after running around working all day. Today though, she needed time to think. So much had happened in these past few days, the streetcar wouldn’t provide the kind of solitude her mind needed to process it. The drawback though, was that this gave her ample time for her worries to bubble up inside her.

Why had she agreed with Eudora’s idea to let Naveen stay at the LaBouff’s? She had been hesitant to say yes at the table, and now the reasons for it were boiling over in her mind. Tiana hated herself for it, because deep down she was afraid that if Naveen spent an ample amount of time around Lottie, he would leave Tiana for her.

It was stupid, she knew, because Lottie would never steal Naveen from her! Hadn’t Lottie given up her dream of being a princess so Tiana and Naveen could be together? But Lottie didn’t have to do it on purpose for it to happen.

Tiana could recount so many parties or even just casual gatherings where people crowded around Lottie and practically pushed Tiana aside. Lottie was so effervescent that people just naturally liked her better, and Tiana could hardly fault them for it. She knew she was hard to get to know, but she would rather her food be in the spotlight than herself, that was all.

But Naveen was a lighthearted person, too, so wouldn’t it be natural for him to want to be with someone like Lottie? Marrying Lottie had been his original plan, and of course Lottie wouldn’t say no to being a princess twice. And once that was done, Naveen would practically have his old life back, with all the money he needed.

 _Stop stop stop._ Tiana squeezed her fists in frustration. She was letting her imagination get the best of her. Naveen loved her! He wouldn’t just toss her aside like yesterday’s news, and Lottie knew how they felt about each other. Tiana just needed to stop worrying and have more faith in her husband and her friend. Though saying that and actually doing it were two different things.

So lost in her thoughts, Tiana hadn’t even realized that her feet had taken her right to the LaBouff house. The empty feeling in the pit of her stomach surprised her, but she wouldn’t let nerves stop what she came here to do.

Tiana took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.

* * *

 

Writing this letter to his parents was more difficult than Naveen had anticipated. How could he convey everything he needed to just on paper? At least with Eudora she had been able to hear how sincere they were when they told their story, even if she didn’t believe them. Though since Louis’ arrival this morning, Naveen thought she seemed to be coming around.

It didn’t seem like a good idea to send Louis to deliver this letter to his parents though.

He twirled the pencil in his fingers before trying again.

_***_

_Dear Ammi and Baba,_

_I am sorry for the way I left. If you have been worried about me, I am fine, though Lawrence is in jail and I have a horrible scar on the palm of my hand. It does not keep me from playing the ukulele though!_

_I am writing to you because I have wonderful news. Can you guess? I am married!_

***

Naveen groaned and crumpled the paper into a ball. Rubbish.

He tossed it to the floor with his other failed attempts.

“You know that pencil has an eraser,” Eudora piped up. She was properly dressed now (Naveen was feeling more and more awkward in his borrowed sleep clothes. He hoped Tiana wouldn’t be too much longer), and was settled by her sewing machine, dutifully stitching up some garment. A dress by the looks of it, though Naveen wasn’t sure.

“Oh. Sorry.” He cringed inwardly looking at the mess he was making. Not just a mess, he thought. Naveen, admittedly, wasn’t the brightest, but he was sometimes able to pick up subtle hints. He wasn’t sure how much a pad of paper cost, but he knew that Eudora and Tiana had to pinch their pennies, and judging by the growing pile of discarded paper he was making, Naveen had wasted quite a few pennies.

He picked up the crumpled papers and dutifully tried his best to straighten them out and erase his unsuitable correspondence without ripping the paper.

“Not going well?” Eudora asked.

“No,” Naveen sighed. “There is so much to say, and I do not know where to begin. Every time I try it all sounds so wrong.”

Eudora pursed her lips, and Naveen braced himself for some sort of lecture. She hadn’t been shy about saying what was on her mind in the brief time he had known her. It surprised him when she asked a question instead.

“Do you really think this will work?” Eudora asked.

Naveen shifted slightly in his seat. What could he say about his family that wouldn’t make him sound like an ungrateful son and a spoiled prince? This was not the best way to win Eudora’s favor, but lying about it seemed even worse.

He lowered his gaze, too ashamed to make eye contact, and instead concentrated on more erasing. “My parents and I, ah, do not have the best relationship,” he began. “But if I write the perfect letter, I know they will be on our side and will work with us to find a good solution.”

Eudora frowned, detangling a piece of thread that had gotten into a knot. “I didn’t mean the letter,” she said. “I mean you and my daughter.” She paused and waited until Naveen looked up to meet her eyes. “I’ve been reading about you in the paper. Is it true? About you being a playboy?”

“I-” Naveen hesitated. The hardness in his stomach felt heavier by the second. He had known this was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. Why, _why_ had he acted like that back in Maldonia? Couldn’t he have seen what a mess it would make out of his life? Why hadn’t he known that none of it would be worth it, especially when he compared to the life he wanted now, with Tiana?

Except he hadn’t known Tiana then, and maybe that made all the difference.

But there was no way to explain that to Eudora.

Naveen fiddled more with his pencil. He felt his shoulders hunch as he tried to hide himself from the truth of his past.

“The newspapers have probably exaggerated a little, but,” he sighed, “it is true. But I am not that man anymore. I would never treat Tiana that way.” He threaded his fingers through his hair. “All I want is to be with her.”

“Are you sure that you’re not that man anymore?” Eudora asked. The knot had finally come loose, and she threaded it back into the sewing machine. “You say you changed when you met Tiana. Fine. I understand that. But you’ve only known her for, what, a month?”

Naveen nodded.

“So how do you know that you won’t change back?”

It was a fair question, though that didn’t make hearing it any easier. He hated this. Hated how he had acted for years, hated that those actions now seeded doubt about who he was now, hated how it was dragging Tiana into this. And he hated himself for the simple reason that he was worried he would revert to his old behavior too.

For wasn’t he at this very moment trying to write a letter to his parents with every intention of begging for his inheritance back? Because as hard as he denied it, Naveen did miss having all that money. Now that they were human again it mattered! With the money, Tiana wouldn’t have to work so hard to get her restaurant. He could easily pay for it, and anything else she desired.

She deserved to be treated like the princess she was. He had promised her that he would make her dream come true, and this was the only way he knew how. It made him feel dirty just thinking about it, but he justified it by saying he was spending the money on someone else, someone he loved. So that had to make it different, right? He wouldn’t just turn into that old Naveen once he had money again, right?

He certainly hoped not. And so he was not going to tell Eudora about it. As for Tiana… he would tell her, but not until their 10th anniversary.

None of that answered Eudora’s question though. He pursed his lips in thought while he continued to methodically erase his earlier writings. “The truth is, that I did not like the person I used to be very much.” As soon as he said it, the tension in his stomach lessened. It felt good to say it out loud. “Maybe I did at first, but after awhile it was like I was playing a part, but I didn’t even realize it. I didn’t know how to change, or even that I wanted to.”

Absentmindedly he smoothed down the wrinkled paper as he spoke. “Tiana helped me realize that I can be a better person, and I want to be that better person. For Tiana, and for myself.”

Eudora hesitated before she said, “You still don’t know each other very well, though. Are you sure you’re ready for such a big commitment?”

“Yes. We love each other,” he said simply. “Yes, things are complicated right now, but it won’t always be that way.” He looked at Eudora, fixing her with his gaze. “I know Tiana and I have not known each other for very long, but in my heart I know we are supposed to be together. I would do anything for Tiana. I can assure you, Mrs…., uh, Mrs…..” Oh _faldi faldonza._ This couldn’t be happening. Tiana must have told him her last name at one point, but no matter how much he wracked his brain trying to remember, it came up empty.

Eudora crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. He could feel any progress he had made being drowned in his own incompetence while he stuttered and stammered helplessly.

“It’s Batiste,” she offered at last.

“Mrs. Batiste,” Naveen replied, wishing that the floor would just open up and swallow him whole.

“You’d better hurry up and finish that letter,” she said and poured herself more coffee.

* * *

 

“Miss LaBouff? There’s someone here to see you….”

Even in the entryway where Gertrude, the maid, had asked Tiana to wait, she could still her Lottie’s muffled reply that she didn’t want to see anyone and that they should just be sent away. Normally Tiana would have just gone right to her friend, but she agreed with Gertrude, who thought that Lottie would be too startled to see her. Gertrude herself had almost fallen over at the shock when she opened the door.

Tiana couldn’t wait until people weren’t shocked by seeing her again. It was proving to be rather a nuisance.

“But Miss, I think you’ll want to see who is here,” Gertrude said.

She could just about hear the telltale signs of a tantrum coming from upstairs when Gertrude continued, “It’s Miss Tiana.”

“Tiana?!” Charlotte’s door banged open with a crash, and Tiana’s nerves were just about to a breaking point. What would Lottie say when she saw her? Would she be mad?

Lottie’s face peered down the stairs at Tiana. Her mouth was agape and she blinked rapidly, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“Hi, Lottie,” Tiana said, surprised by how calm her voice sounded, when her insides were tied up in knots.

Charlotte burst into a grin and let out an ear piercing squeal as she ran down the stairs. She practically crushed Tiana in her arms.

“Tia! Tia! Tia!”

Tiana was laughing now, as Lottie started jumping in their embrace, and soon Tiana started to jump too.

They were both giggling happily when Lottie pulled back. “Tia… you’re human!! I’ve  missed you so much!! How did this happen??” She pressed a hand to her forehead, and still giggling said, “Does this mean I dreamt the whole thing about you being a frog?”

“I thought it was a dream too,” Tiana said. “But it was real.”

Lottie’s eyes widened. “So how did you break the spell?”

“It’s a long story.”

* * *

 

Naveen stared hopelessly at the shaving kit laid out before him. He could do this, right? It didn’t matter that he was twenty one years old and had never shaved his face before… right?

He groaned inwardly and brought his palm to his face. He felt like the most pathetic human being on the planet.

After Naveen finished what he hoped was a suitable letter for his parents, he had asked Eudora if she had a razor he could use. He had been hoping that just seeing it would bring up some sort of memory of what to do with it, but after Eudora had dug around in Tiana’s father’s old things and placed it in front of him, Naveen was still at a loss.

At least Eudora had sharpened it for him, because the only thing he knew was that a sharp razor was better than a dull one.

 _‘Great_ ,’ he thought. ‘ _Now I will be able to slice my head off in one swipe instead of two.’_

Naveen shook his head. He needed to get a grip. It was just a shave! He could do this! He’d had hundreds of shaves back in Maldonia. And just because he had never paid any attention while they were going on didn’t mean he couldn’t figure it out now. How hard could it really be? Besides, the straight razor didn’t look that sharp.

He picked it up and ran his thumb across the blade. It instantly cut his skin.

Naveen cursed and stuck his thumb inside his mouth. It was then that he realized that Eudora was leaning against the doorframe, eyeing him with clear skepticism.

“You don’t know how to shave, do you?” she asked, incredulously.

Naveen wondered for a brief moment if he could lie his way out of this. But standing there, with his thumb in his mouth, he felt such a wave of embarrassment that Naveen was sure even his ears had turned pink. “No, ma’am,” he admitted.

Eudora rolled her eyes in exasperation. “You’re lucky I used to shave James’ face sometimes. Scoot over.”

Naveen did as he was told and listened intently while she told him how to lather up the shaving lotion with the brush. He only hoped that Eudora wouldn’t tell Tiana about any of this, but he had a strong suspicion that she would.

* * *

 

“Gosh, Tia. It’s all so romantic!”

Explaining everything to Lottie turned out to be a lot easier than it had been with Mama. Tiana thought it might have had to do with the fact that Lottie had always been open to the idea of magic and fairy tales, but it also helped that she had seen both her and Naveen as frogs.

It was a nice enough day that they were able to move outside to the gazebo. They were nibbling on tea sandwiches and drinking iced tea.

“To think, true love broke the spell,” Lottie placed a hand over her heart and let out a blissful sigh.

“Well, not exactly love,” Tiana countered. “Just a kiss.” But even as she tried to lessen the impact of everything, she felt a blush begin on her cheeks as she remembered the kiss that broke the spell and the many kisses she had shared with her husband since.

“But the kiss wouldn’t have broken the spell if you hadn’t gotten married, and you wouldn’t have gotten married if you hadn’t been in love! So ha.” Lottie playfully tossed a garnish at Tiana. “True love.”

“Okay, fine,” Tiana laughed, trying to downplay it, but her smile gave her away. It felt nice to talk about Naveen in a way that didn’t involve someone pointing out all the ways their relationship could fall apart.

“I can’t believe you’re married!” Charlotte said with a grin, but then her face fell slightly. “I wish I could have been there.”

“Me too.” As much as she had loved her wedding, Tiana couldn’t lie and say it had been perfect. Of course she wished that her Mama and Lottie had been there, and sure she would have loved to wear a proper wedding gown. And most of all, she wished she had walked away from it with a marriage license.

“Ever since Mardi Gras, I’ve just been so miserable,” Lottie said. “I felt so horrible that I wasn’t able to help you that night.”

“Oh, honey.” Tiana reached across the table and squeezed her friend’s hand. “It’s not your fault. I never blamed you.” She squeezed again. “And it all worked out in the end.”

“You’re right, Tia. You’re always right about those things.” Lottie brushed away a stray tear and smiled. “I still can’t believe you’re married! And to a prince! You’re a princess, Tia!!” Charlotte started to squeal again. “Oh it’s just so exciting! Are you gonna get a crown? And the dresses!” She gasped. “You’re gonna have dances and balls right?

“I really don’t know,” she admitted, shifting a little in her chair. Tiana hadn’t thought of any of that yet. There was so much she didn’t know about being a princess, so much she had to learn. Would Naveen’s parents even let someone like her be a princess? Despite Naveen’s assurances, Tiana had her doubts.

“I can’t wait to meet him!” Lottie continued, oblivious. “Well, we’ve sort of already met, but there wasn’t much time, you know?”

“And you’re sure he can stay here?” Tiana asked. “It won’t be awkward?”

“Of course he can, honey. But why would it be awkward?” Lottie asked. She added more sugar to her already sweet iced tea.

Tiana blinked. Did she really have to spell it out? “Lottie, you were going to marry him, and you almost married someone else who had been under a spell to look exactly like him.”

Charlotte stopped stirring her tea. “Well, when you put it that way it might be a little awkward.” She smoothed down the tablecloth. “But it’ll be fine.”

“Where you… did you fall in love with him?” Even without saying who, it was clear Tiana was talking about Naveen. But not _her_ Naveen, the Naveen Charlotte had known, the Lawrence as Naveen Naveen, which to Lottie would have been the real Naveen. It was all very confusing.

Lottie started to pick up the crumbs on the table one by one, and Tiana wondered if she had gone too far with her question.

“N… no,” Lottie eventually replied. She sighed. “Even before I found out he was a fake and that everything was a lie, I didn’t love him.”

Tiana could practically taste the lecture she wanted to give her friend. _How could you marry someone you didn’t love??_ But Tiana knew better. If you told Lottie to do something, she almost always did the opposite. She had to learn on her own, no matter how hard it was.

So Tiana bit her tongue and waited.

“I think…” Lottie continued after a moment. “I think I loved the _idea_ of him.”

Tiana nodded. This at least made some sense.

“He acted just like a prince out of a story book. It was easy to be swept up in the fairy tale.” Charlotte sighed. “Do you think I’m silly for still wanting to be a princess?”

“No.” How could she say otherwise? So many people had criticized her for her own dream, she could hardly fault Lottie for having her own far fetched dream. “I don’t think it’s silly, Lottie, but, you should make sure that you’re doing it for the right reasons.”

Charlotte nodded.

Before Tiana could stop herself, she asked, “Are you mad at me?”

“Mad?” Lottie asked. “Whatever on earth for?”

Now it was Tiana’s turn to fiddle with the tablecloth. “You said it yourself that you still want to be a princess. You’ve wanted it your whole life, and when you do find yourself a prince it turns out he was a fake and I ended up with the real thing and…” Tiana sighed. “I would completely understand if you’re upset.”

“I’m not upset, Tia.”

Tiana didn’t believe this for a second. She pressed again. “Lottie.”

“Ok, ok, maybe I’m a little jealous,” Charlotte caved. “Part of me feels like it’s not fair, but that’s so ridiculous because if anyone deserves this, it’s you, Tia! I want you to be happy, and I’m so glad that you found someone.” She shrugged slightly. “Don’t worry about me, though. I’ll get over it.”

“Besides,” she continued, “from what you’ve told me about Prince Naveen, it doesn’t sound like we’d be a good match. So even if things had worked differently, it wouldn’t have lasted. But you….” Lottie started to chuckle. “Did you really fall for someone who likes to dance and doesn’t know the first thing about cooking?”

Tiana felt the heat rush to her cheeks again. “It doesn’t make much sense, does it?” Tiana had to laugh too. She reached over and squeezed her friend’s hand again. When Lottie squeezed back, she knew everything was going to be okay. “Love is funny that way, I guess.”

Lottie waited until Tiana had taken a sip of her iced tea before she asked, “So how was it? Last night?” She raised an eyebrow. “In bed?”

Tiana almost choked on her tea. “Lottie! Oh my god!” She felt herself blush harder than before, and used her coughing fit to try and bring it under control. It didn’t help though. “How could you ask me that?”

Charlotte was openly laughing now. “What? You can tell me!”

“Okay, first, I am _not_ going to tell you, and second, we haven’t even done anything yet!” Her mind instantly went back to their time on the couch, but there was no way Tiana was ever going to share that. She paused, feeling a smile creep back to her lips. “He is a good kisser though.”

Lottie squealed with laughter, and soon they were both laughing warmly, reveling in their shared friendship.

“So,” Lottie said once they had calmed down. “Do you think Naveen knows of any princes out there who happen to be single?”

 


	7. Chapter 7

Tiana wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. Naveen had assured her it wouldn't be a problem, and… well he was right, no matter how implausible it had seemed an hour ago.

She had spent much longer at Lottie's than she had anticipated, and practically ran the whole way home with a suitcase of clothes for Naveen to change into. An apology was already on her lips when she walked through the door, expecting Naveen to be upset with her for taking so long. Instead Tiana found him in the middle of a card game with her mother. Losing badly from the looks of it.

Naveen quickly changed (and gave Tiana many kisses of thank you in the process. Not that she minded in the least) and they set off for the day. The first stop, Tiana reminded him, would be to the police station.

Though she knew that it had to be done, her stomach was tying itself up in knots. How were they supposed to effectively lie to the police? But how could they tell the truth when even Tiana's own mother hadn't believed their story?

She had never been good at lying, and knew that she would crack under even the slightest pressure from any interrogation they could give. She'd have to pay a fine, and would probably be arrested. There was no way she'd be able to afford bail, and so she'd spend the rest of her life behind bars and oh god her life was over.

Seeming to feel her distress, Naveen had gently pulled her to the side and wrapped his arms around her until she calmed down. "Everything will be alright," he promised. "I know how to handle this."

And now here they were, and Tiana still couldn't believe it.

The police were so utterly charmed by Naveen that they hardly paid any attention to her, or the story he presented to them explaining why he had been missing.

She blinked in surprise as once again Naveen lead them all in another round of laughter, and, she blinked again, was that officer asking for an autograph?

* * *

"That wasn't so bad," Naveen said once they left. The police force had been so enamored by Naveen's charms, they even offered to give them an escort around town, but Tiana declined and they quickly made their escape.

Now they were walking hand in hand, Tiana giving him a haphazard tour of the city. "I'm just glad it's over," she replied. "Lying like that… it doesn't sit well."

"Well, luckily we don't have to do it again," Naveen said. "Unless someone besides your mother, or Charlotte, or my parents ask us where we have been all this time." He had meant it as a joke, but Tiana wasn't laughing. He squeezed her hand. "It will be alright, love."

"You told your parents the truth in your letter?" Tiana asked. In truth she was slightly shocked by this. After how difficult it had been explaining everything to her own mother, she had expected him to stretch the truth to his parents.

"They deserve to know what happened," Naveen replied. He had mailed the letter soon after leaving the police station and couldn't shake the feeling that he hadn't explained everything well enough for them to understand. He knew there was nothing he could do to change it now, though, so he tried to push those thoughts away, at least until he had their reply in his hand. "Even if they do not believe it, at least I will know that I tried."

Tiana squeezed his hand. "Do you think they'll believe you?"

Naveen laughed softly. "Honestly? I do not know. We will just have to wait and see."

They paused waiting to cross the street, and Naveen asked, "Tiana, where are we going?"

"Well, I thought we'd stop by Duke's and Cal's, to see if I can get my old jobs back," Tiana explained.

The light changed, allowing them to cross, but when Tiana moved forward, Naveen held her back. "I thought we were going to be working on your restaurant. Aren't we?"

"Well, eventually," Tiana said. She tugged him forward gently, and at last they crossed the street. "But somebody else bought the sugar mill."

She couldn't even bear to think of it. That was the building her Daddy had wanted to turn into their restaurant. The building all her hopes and dreams had depended on. Tiana had a notebook filled with plans, measurements, and budgets all based around that building. Now she'd have to start over.

That's why they were taking the long way to Duke's. It would be too much to endure to walk past it and know it belonged to someone else. Or worse, actually see what changes that someone else had done to it. If it had been torn down, Tiana might actually weep.

"So you have to find a new building?" Naveen asked.

Tiana nodded. "It's gonna take a lot of work to get back to where I was. The sugar mill was the only building that I could reasonably afford, and even then I only had the down payment." She let out a sigh as they turned the corner. "If I keep going at this rate, I'm gonna be a old woman by the time I get my restaurant."

Naveen gave her hand a squeeze. "Well, you do have something that you did not have before."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Now you have me."

"Yes." Tiana kissed his cheek. "Now I have you."

Naveen broke out into a grin. As they turned another corner, he looked around more carefully. "This looks familiar. Did we pass by here before?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Hmm. It really looks familiar." But when would he have been by this area? "I must have walked by here after I first arrived."

"That makes sense," Tiana said. She pointed to the south. "The docks are right over there."

Duke's was in sight now, and Naveen slowed his step, thinking. "This is where you worked, yes? At Duke's?"

Tiana nodded. "It's not the greatest cafe, but they let me make the beignets in addition to being a waitress." She preened. "My beignets were always the best selling thing on the menu, so I'm sure Beuford will give me my job back."

Naveen wasn't really sure what beignets were, but if Tiana made them, they were bound to be delicious. "Will you make some for me sometime?"

"I think I can do that."

This was looking very familiar to Naveen now. It was all coming back to him. He remembered playing with the band as they walked down the streets. It had been such fun dancing to the music, and flirting with all the women. All of whom eagerly flirted back… except for one.

Naveen gasped, stopping in his tracks.

"What is it?" Tiana asked.

He looked at Tiana, then at Duke's, then back to Tiana. " _O mio deus,"_ he whispered, and burst into laughter.

"What? What's so funny?" Tiana asked again.

Naveen was laughing so hard he almost couldn't breath. This was too much. At least he calmed down enough to speak. "The morning of Charlotte's party," he said between laughs. "Do you remember it?"

Tiana raised an eyebrow at him. "Umm, a bit? Why?"

Naveen wiped his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "Do you happen to remember seeing a charming handsome man that morning? Here, perhaps? Carrying a ukulele and who gallantly tipped his hat to the most beautiful waitress he had ever seen?"

While he was speaking, Tiana's eyes grew wide. Now it was her turn to gasp. She covered her mouth, unbelieving. "You?"

"Who knew that the best way to get your attention was to become a frog."

* * *

The porch swing creaked gently as Naveen absentmindedly rocked back and forth on it. He was deep in thought waiting for Tiana, who had offered to make some iced tea, something that baffled Naveen's mind even now. He'd never thought that tea could be served cold.

That wasn't what he was thinking about though. The day had been harder than either of them had anticipated. Not the general errands, but whenever they ran into someone that knew Tiana, they would have to lie about their relationship. And despite what Tiana had thought, there were a lot of people who knew Tiana.

Naveen could still taste the bitterness of having been introduced as Tiana's friend instead of her husband. It wasn't that he minded being called her friend, because, of course, they were friends. But he was also deeply in love with her, and had married her. For all intents and purposes he was her husband and that's how Naveen wanted to be introduced. There had been so many times where he had just wanted to shout it at the top of his lungs, but he bit his tongue and smiled through it.

Soon, he reminded himself. Soon. As soon as Baba and Ammi replied to his letter, it would all be sorted out. They just had to wait about two weeks for a reply, as Naveen had a feeling they would respond right away. Maybe they would even accompany the reply and could give their blessings in person. Now that would be something.

"What are you smiling about?" Tiana teased. She set down the tray that held a pitcher and two glasses.

"Just thinking about when we can freely admit that we are married to each other," Naveen said, accepting a glass of iced tea when she offered him one.

Tiana's smile faltered as she poured herself a glass. "That was hard today, wasn't it?"

"Yes." He could see her retreating inward, taking the blame for it all on herself. Though Naveen was still feeling rather peevish about the whole thing, he would not let her suffer through it alone. "Come here, princess."

When she settled by his side, Naveen pulled her close and kissed her temple. "It won't always be like this," he reminded her, as he gently rubbed her back.

"I know," Tiana said, resting her head on his shoulder, taking what comfort she could. "But I still hate this."

"Me too." Naveen pressed another kiss to her forehead and began to slowly rock the porch swing back and forth. They sat in silence, holding each other. There was nothing to do but wait, and they both knew it. That didn't make it any easier though.

Except, Naveen knew there was something he needed to do. It wouldn't solve their current problem, far from it. In fact it might make things worse, but it needed to be done. It had been percolating in his mind all day, especially when they were walking around town. Word was already spreading that he was no longer missing, it wouldn't be long before reporters found out. Judging by what he had seen about himself in the newspapers already, there was no guarantee any of it would be accurate, but he did not want Tiana to hear about any of it through gossip and hearsay.

"Tiana, I need to tell you something."

She turned to look at him. "What is it?"

Naveen swallowed, his mouth already dry. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. "We should always have the truth between us, yes?"

Now Tiana was fully sitting up, giving him her full attention. He missed her warmth, the comfort of her weight resting against him. Naveen was tempted to pull her back into his arms and forget the whole thing. But she nodded and so he continued.

"There is something I have been meaning to tell you for awhile now. And the reason I never mentioned it until now is because, well, when we were frogs it didn't matter. But I still should have told you, especially before we married, and now that we are married and human again it matters very much, and I wanted you to hear it from me, and-"

Tiana placed a finger over his lips, gently shushing him. "What is it, sweetheart?"

Oh how Naveen could have cried just from hearing that pet name. And knowing it might be the last time he heard it from her made his heart break. For she might not love him after hearing what he had to say. But she deserved to know. He owed her that much.

"I need to tell you why I came to New Orleans, and why my parents cut me off."


	8. Chapter 8

This was the biggest, most spectacular party he had ever thrown. There was always plenty of laughter and music whenever Naveen threw a party, but there was something special about this one. Maybe it was the fact that it was his birthday and he had managed to find a Maldonian band that could play jazz reasonably well. They weren't Louis Armstrong, but then again, even in America there was only one Louis Armstrong.

Naveen had to laugh once more watching the guests try to dance to what he thought was 'I Found a New Baby' (this band really needed to work on their syncopation. Their interpretation of these songs was making them almost unbearable) and utterly failing. No one knew how to dance to the Prince's favorite music genre, but it didn't matter. Naveen knew the steps and was good at leading his various partners around the ballroom, or the great hall, or the gardens, or wherever he happened to find a willing partner. And he never had to look far to find one.

If Naveen had to guess, he would say there were a few hundred people here tonight. The party had taken over the entire castle grounds, and practically the entire inside of the castle as well. There were a few servants who, despite the fact that the King and Queen were away at a diplomacy meeting, were stubborn in enforcing their rules and bared any guest from entering into certain areas. Most notably the bedrooms and the nursery where the young Prince Ravi would be attempting to sleep through the night.

This suited Naveen just fine. If there were servants making sure no one bothered Ravi, that meant those same servants would keep Ravi from bothering him, and the last thing Naveen wanted was his little brother trailing after him tonight. Besides, if he wanted to make some whoopie with someone, there were plenty of places to go besides the bedrooms, and if he was very desperate, he knew how to get into his room without anyone seeing.

But there were still so many women Naveen had yet to dance with, or flirt with, or kiss, and he wanted to do at least one of those with all the women here. By this point there was practically a line formed to dance with the prince, and Naveen welcomed it with open arms. Though he usually prefered a chase, he certainly wouldn't say no to any woman who eagerly wanted him. He wanted them too, and he craved that attention like a drug. A warm smile, a knowing glance, that spark from a first kiss, it was all so addicting.

He wanted as much of it as he could get.

So when Ria Dewan caught his eye from across the ballroom, it didn't take long for Naveen to to be by her side.

He had known Ria for years. Her family was one of the most prominent in Maldonia outside of the royal family, so they had obviously wiggled their way into the king and queen's favor. Ria had been his first kiss, and the first one he had taken to bed. She was comfortable. He never had to work hard for her, and could always be counted on to have a good time.

"Took you long enough, Prince Naveen," Ria said, once Naveen was close enough.

"It's always more fun to make you wait," he replied with a smirk. Naveen looked Ria up and down, taking his time appreciating the lovely curve of her hips, her beautiful brown skin, and those brown eyes that seemed to sparkle with mischief. But it was the dress she was wearing that caught his attention. It was shorter than anything he had ever seen anyone wear, almost to her knees. "What are you wearing?"

"Don't you like it?" Ria turned around slowly, making sure Naveen saw the sheer fabric that went all the way down to her waist. He shivered slightly at the sight of it. Naveen knew if Ria's father saw her in this dress, he would kill her. And probably him too. Ria's father thought Naveen was a bad influence, which was probably true. "Don't you think I look like an American movie star?"

She did at that. All she needed was a bobbed haircut, but Ria's long hair was her pride and joy. Naveen knew she would never cut it. "Ha, hardly," he teased. "You could pass for your grandmother in that outfit."

Ria frowned and flicked her feather boa at his face, but didn't fight when he lead her out to the dance floor. "Like you can talk, wearing that royal blue attire, Prince Naveen."

Naveen smirked. "I have to make sure that everyone knows who the prince is around here."

"You always have to be the center of attention, don't you?"

"Always." he said, and he spun them around to the music, making sure that everyone was watching. Naveen grinned as he saw heads turn their way, and cheers and applause for their dance filled the room.

When the music stopped, Naveen turned and bowed towards the guests, grinning wide. "Let's have another round of drinks!" he declared, and the room exploded in wild approval.

"Don't even think about it," Ria said, tugging him back into another dance. "I'm not ready to give you up yet."

Naveen shrugged, nonchalantly, and easily slid into another dance. Slower this time. "If you insist."

"I do. Besides, I haven't even had a chance to wish you happy birthday." Ria leaned in and pressed a light kiss to his lips, teasing him with a promise of more to come later. "Happy birthday, Prince Naveen."

"Thank you, Ria," he said.

"So, are you excited?" she asked. "It's finally official, isn't it? Your inheritance?"

Naveen grinned again, nodding. Yes, it was. For so many years he had bought whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it with credit. Of course his parents had always given him hell for it, as Naveen had never really paid attention to how much he was spending, but they had more than enough money so what was the harm? But now that he was twenty one, it was all his. He could do with it as he pleased, which was one of the reasons he was having this party.

It was so freeing to be out of his parents control, and he couldn't wait to see where it would take him. Judging by the look in Ria's eyes, it looks like it will soon take him to bed.

"So what are you going to do with all of that money?" Ria asked.

Naveen shrugged, casually, though the thought of having all that money, all that freedom made him want to jump for joy. He spun her a few times around the dance floor before answering. "I am not sure yet. Perhaps I will buy another yacht and take a trip."

"You're not talking about New Orleans again, are you?"

"And why not?" Naveen frowned, slowing their dance.

Ria sighed. "I know you have this obsession with jass and all-"

"Jazz. It is jazz music," Naveen interrupted.

"Right that's what I said," Ria replied. "But Prince Naveen, that's not a good reason to go halfway around the world. Wouldn't you rather stay here? With me?" Her voice was low but Naveen could still hear her over the band. They were dancing closer now, and much slower than before, despite the fast tempo of the music.

Naveen ignored this. "There is also the Mardi Gras in a few weeks. That is a good reason to go."

Ria raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is a Mardi Gras?"

"A party!" Naveen replied, picking up their dance speed once more. He twirled her once more. "The biggest party in the world!"

Ria had to laugh. "Bigger than this party? Impossible."

"Yes, it is true," Naveen grinned, "as difficult as that is to believe." He had to stop himself from talking Ria's ear off about what he knew about Mardi Gras and the jazz they played there. Well, he just mostly assumed they played jazz during Mardi Gras. It was remarkably difficult to learn anything useful about the city where jazz was born all the way from Maldonia. Any encyclopedia with information about New Orleans was out of date, and only had boring information like how many people lived there and when the city was founded. Yawn.

But there were songs about Mardi Gras, and that was enough for Naveen to know that one day he would experience it, and that it would change his life.

"If you're seriously thinking about traveling," Ria said, "don't you think it would be nice to have someone to accompany you?"

"Lawrence will be there," Naveen said, oblivious. He laughed, spotting his valet trying to carry multiple trays of pakora, samosa and kulcha around the room and failing. Hopefully the samosa was alright, that was his favorite.

Ria rolled her eyes. "I was thinking of someone else. Someone more… familiar." She pressed herself against Naveen again. "Maybe someone like me."

"Ha, your father would never let you come."

"Well, he would if our circumstances changed," Ria said.

Naveen raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Well, we've known each other for a long time. Don't you think we've been dancing around this for too long?"

Naveen blinked. "What? The ballroom?"

"No, silly. I mean," she paused. "Isn't there something you'd like to ask me?"

Oh boy. "Ria," Naveen halted their dancing and looked deep into Ria's eyes. They were brimming with hope. "Will you…..get me a samosa?"

Whenever Naveen thought about the events that followed, guilt and shame overwhelmed him to an almost unbearable degree. If only he hadn't been so rude, if only he hadn't laughed at the fury on Ria's face, if only he had thought for once about his actions, perhaps what followed could have been prevented.

But of course Naveen did none of those things, so when Ria threw up her arms in frustration he pulled her back into a fast dance. He couldn't have anyone be upset at his party, and he had every intention of making it up to her. So Naveen spun them around the room in an elaborate dance, faster and more complicated than anything they had done that evening in an attempt to make her smile again.

Ria could never stay angry with him for long, so it wasn't long before she was laughing and enjoying herself once more. Naveen lead them around the ballroom and gave Ria one final turn. In Naveen's haste, or ignorance, or stupidity, he hadn't even noticed that they were dancing near one of the many gas flames that illuminated the ballroom. Or perhaps, as he told himself later, it had never made a difference whether he danced near those or not, because none of his dance partners ever wore such elaborate wraps.

But putting the blame solely on Ria wasn't fair. He was the one who had brought them close to the flames. He was the one who guided her into that turn that made her wrap fly out. And when he pulled her back and saw the wrap on fire, he was the one that threw it to the side, once again not thinking of the consequences. He was the one who hadn't noticed the way the fire devoured the curtains and spread to the rest of the room until it was too late.

* * *

 

"I don't even know where to begin."

Naveen couldn't meet his father's eyes. This was a very familiar scene to him, being in his father's office about to receive a stern lecture by his parents. Ever since he was a boy this is where Naveen would come to be given his punishment for whatever wrong thing he had done. It had been a few years, though, since the last time he had sat in this chair facing his father's desk.

His parents had speculated that their eldest son was finally growing up and that's why his rowdy behavior had slowed, but in reality, Naveen was just better about not getting caught.

This time though, there was no way to avoid the consequences.

"I said I was sorry," Naveen mumbled. Sitting in this chair again made him feel like a child, so he might as well act like one. He spared a glance at the window where his mother, Idhal, was standing. It felt safer looking at her than at his father, Sunil, but mostly because she wasn't looking at him. Her arms were crossed and she was frowning, looking out at the shining waters of the ocean waves.

Sunil said, "Sorry doesn't even begin to make up for what you have done."

"I know." But it was a start, right? Why couldn't they give him that at least?

"Do you know how much damage that fire did?"

Naveen shook his head, though he had an idea of how far the fire had spread. Even before he had fled the ballroom with the rest of the guests of the party, the flames had extended beyond the curtains, and the smoke was so heavy and dark he had almost lost his way.

Sunil put on his glasses and read from the papers on his desk. "The entire ballroom is destroyed. The west parlor, the study, the drawing room, the west hall all have damage from the fire." Sunil glanced at Naveen over the rims of his glasses. "Not to mention all the rooms on the higher floors that suffered smoke damage."

"At least no one was hurt," Naveen offered. Somehow everyone had gotten out before the flames got out of control.

"But someone could have." Idhal said, her voice cracking as she turned to face her son. There were angry tears in her eyes that threatened to spill. "Do you know what room is two floors above the ballroom? Do you?"

Naveen lowered his gaze again. He knew, and this knowledge has haunted him ever since the fire. He didn't need his mother pointing it out to him. "The nursery," he finally answered softly.

"Ravi was in there!" Idhal's tone was harsh, but she hadn't raised her voice. The Queen of Maldonia didn't need to yell to make her anger known. "If the fire brigade hadn't arrived when they did… if he hadn't gotten out in time…" She blinked hard, not willing to cry at this moment. Not when she was so very very angry.

Sunil turned and reached over to his wife. He placed a warm hand on her arm, holding her steady. "But he did," he reminded her. "Ravi is safe,  _mia floresca_. We mustn't focus on what might have happened," he turned back to Naveen, "when we must discuss what did."

Naveen's stomach dropped.

Idhal nodded and turned back to the window. "I don't recognize you anymore, Naveen," she said. "But we shouldn't be surprised, should we? Over and over again, you keep finding new ways to disappoint us. To disappoint your country."

Sunil continued, "Is it possible that you have somehow forgotten that you are the crown prince? That one day you will be the ruler of this country?"

How could he ever forget something like that? But his father just stared at him, waiting for a response, so Naveen had to answer, "No."

"Then why haven't you shown any interest in taking any of this seriously?" Sunil asked. "All you do is party and play that damned jazz music on your ukulele. And the girls, lord help me all those girls!"

Naveen felt a slight blush form on his cheeks. He didn't want to talk about all the women he had dated with his parents.

"We waited for you to turn twenty one until you received your inheritance because we thought you would have matured enough to take on this responsibility," Idhal said, turning back to face him, her anger placated, for now.

"You know it is tradition to give that money back to the people of this country by starting a charity group or a benefit foundation. Something to better our country and our people," Sunil said. "But instead you decided to selfishly throw yourself a party. You put your brother and your guests in danger, and you destroyed our ancestral home in the process."

Naveen squirmed in the chair just wishing they would finish so he could leave. The embarrassment and guilt he felt were intensifying as he listened to the truth in their words. What he really wanted more than anything was a drink.

Sunil and Idhal shared a glance, so Naveen knew his punishment was coming. In the past they had always been inconvenient but that was all. He had no reason to expect anything differently this time.

"Your mother and I have decided that you will no longer have access to your inheritance," Sunil said.

Naveen glanced up in shock.

"Or to our credit account that you have been using," Idhal added.

Naveen blinked hard trying to understand. He let out a shaky laugh. ""You're joking, yes?" But his parents said nothing. "You're really cutting me off?" This couldn't be happening. Prince Naveen without his riches? Impossible!

"Wh-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.

"That," Sunil said, "you will have to figure out for yourself."

* * *

 

Explaining the story to Tiana was difficult, to put it mildly, but telling her how he had reacted to it all was too shameful even for Naveen.

Because of course he had gotten angry at his parents, telling them it wasn't fair what they were doing to him, and any number of half hearted arguments that only settled in their mind that they had made the right choice.

Naveen had stormed out of the castle and had tried to buy just a simple drink, nothing extravagant, but he found that his credit was declined wherever he went.

Word was spreading as well, that their playboy prince no longer had large amounts of money to spend. As Naveen walked about, he saw reactions ranging from sly mocking behavior to full out laughter. Humiliated, he had tried to reach out to his friends, desperate for comfort, reassurances, and perhaps even a loan or two, but no one answered his calls.

Even Ria, who he had talked to after the fire, had closed the door in his face.

Fine. Naveen knew when he wasn't wanted. He would just have to go somewhere he could be appreciated, and Naveen knew just the right place to go. Alone and angry, he made Lawrence take out all of his savings to purchase the boat tickets, and they snuck away before anyone was any the wiser.

And now he was here.

His story finished, Naveen looked at his hands while he sat in silence. While he had been talking, Naveen had inadvertently moved to the edge of the porch swing away from Tiana. Now he knew why - he felt like he didn't deserve her, even the simple act of feeling her touch was too good for him.

And still, strangely, Naveen felt a sense of lightness in himself now that he had told her everything. But it was also paired with the weight of Tiana's possible reaction. He wanted to get on his knees and beg her to stay with him, to say that she still loved him, but he couldn't. That felt like something the old Naveen would do, and if anything, the telling of his story cemented the knowledge that he didn't want to be that person anymore.

So he waited, not even daring to look at Tiana's beautiful face.

He felt her shift on the bench, and Naveen braced himself for the inevitable. Because how could she still be with him after learning all of this?

She placed a hand on his arm, soft and tender and warm. Naveen let out a sob, but swallowed hard trying his best to stop the flow of tears before they started. But then she pulled him into a hug, and Naveen burst into a blubbering mess.

Tiana held him tight and stroked his hair, but that only seemed to make it worse. There weren't enough words to describe how much he loved this woman, and once more Naveen promised himself that he would do everything in his power to be the kind of man she deserved. So what was he doing now crying on her shoulder like a baby?

Naveen forced himself to stop, though it wasn't easy. He felt empty inside, and also foolishly hopeful. What did this mean that Tiana was still holding him to her and wouldn't let him move away when he had halfheartedly tried? She was still stroking his hair too. It felt nice.

"I'm sorry," Naveen said at last once he had calmed down.

"For what?" Tiana asked in reply.

Naveen took a shaky breath and let out a tired sigh. "I don't know. For everything. For being me."

"Don't ever apologize for that," Tiana said, holding him close. "I love you for the person you are."

That was enough to bring tears to his eyes again, but this time Naveen laughed forcefully through it. "How can you still love me after all of this?"

Tiana pulled back and held his face until he looked her in the eye. "Because you're my husband, no matter what we tell everyone else. And I know that my husband is a good man."

"One act doesn't define your whole life," she continued, brushing away more of his tears. "The fire was an accident, so please don't blame yourself. And as for the rest…"

Naveen inwardly flinched. Even without the fire the rest of his past behavior wasn't anything to be proud of.

"I didn't know you then, but I do know you now," Tiana said. "And the man that I know is smart, and funny, and handsome." Naveen smirked slightly. "Look, Naveen, nobody is perfect, and I know you've made a lot of mistakes in your past but you've proven to me many times that you've learned from them, and that's what matters to me."

Naveen gave her a soft smile that she returned.

"I love you, Naveen," Tiana said. "Warts and all."

He laughed his first true laugh in what felt like hours, and when she kissed him, Naveen's heart felt lighter than in had in weeks. He should have told her what happened a long time ago, but better late than never as they say. And it was better. So so much better.

"I love you too, Tiana," Naveen said when they parted. He pulled her into another embrace, letting the relief truly sink in as he gently rocked them back and forth on the porch swing.

They sat in silence for a long while, until Tiana said, "Naveen… if we're telling each other everything, there's something I need to tell you, too."

Naveen blinked in surprise. In his mind Tiana was incapable of doing anything wrong, especially in comparison to his earlier confession. But if she needed to get something off of her chest he certainly wasn't about to tell her no. "Alright."

"It's… it's about the Shadow Man."

A shiver went through him uncontrollably. Any thoughts of the Shadow Man had been forcefully pushed to the back of his mind, and Naveen wasn't sure he wanted to hear about it right now. But, shit, he remembered how distraught she had been that night when they were frogs and she hadn't wanted to tell him what had happened until she was ready. Now it seemed like it was that time.

Naveen pulled her closer, offering her what comfort he could, and kissed her temple. "Tell me, love."

She brought them back to that fateful night and told him about the way the Shadow Man had tempted her with her dream restaurant. So exactly like she had always pictured it, it was almost scary. It had everything exactly right, except for one thing.

Naveen.

It was a strange sense of pride that Naveen felt as she told him that, because he wasn't in the illusion, that there was no love present in her restaurant, Tiana had been able to break free from the Shadow Man's hold.

Then she told him about how she broke the talisman, and Tiana started to shake. Naveen squeezed her tightly, but it didn't seem to help. He pulled her into his lap and held her close, whispering that she didn't need to tell him anymore, but Tiana persisted.

She told him how the shadows had come, and the Shadow Man's pleading to give him more time, but they were relentless in their effort to pull him away into their hellscape. Tiana had been afraid they would get her too, but had managed to hide behind one of the tombstones in the cemetery. If they had been interested in her though, it would have been easy to find her, and this made her shake all the harder.

Tiana remembered the Shadow Man's screams as he was dragged into what must be an eternity of torment and misfortune. The drums and the chanting had been so loud and frightening, there was nothing Tiana could have done except watch the Shadow Man be swallowed by the demon mask.

"Shit," Naveen whispered and held her tighter. "My poor darling. I am so sorry you had to see all of that. But you're safe now. The Shadow Man is gone, and the shadows have gone with him. Nothing will hurt you, I promise."

Tiana nodded, though she was still trembling slightly. She clutched tight to Naveen's shirt as the memories of that horrible night flashed before her. That had been the most terrifying thing she had ever seen, and it still haunted her. But that wasn't why she had told him this story. "But it's not… that's not… didn't you hear what I said?"

"Of course I did. I-"

"Naveen, I killed him!" Tiana said.

"Whoa. Okay, hold on." Naveen tried to calm her down, to speak words of comfort but she plowed ahead.

"I'm a murderer," she stated firmly, pulling away from his embrace. "I almost said something when we went to the police today, but I was afraid…. And now… oh god." Tiana buried her face in her hands.

"Darling, that's not true!" Naveen said, reaching for her again.

"When I broke the talisman, that's what made the shadows come for him," Tiana said. "If I hadn't he would still be alive."

"And we would still be frogs," Naveen countered. "Or worse!"

Tiana shook her head vehemently. "You don't know that."

"Yes I do," Naveen said. "Lawrence told me his plan. Once he had the LaBouff's fortune in his hand, he was going to let the shadows loose on the whole city. And once that happened he would have no more use for Mr. LaBouff, or Charlotte, or Lawrence, or… or me." Naveen's thumb brushed the scar on his hand.

"He was going to kill us all, and leave our souls for the shadows to take," Naveen continued. He cupped Tiana's cheek, lightly stroking it. "He would have killed you too for taking the talisman. Like he killed Ray."

Tiana was rubbing her arms up and down, hugging herself tight. "That doesn't excuse what I did. I'm still a murderer even if he was a bad person."

"No, darling. It was the shadows who did it, not you," Naveen said. "The talisman had power, yes, but, it wasn't tied to his life. Breaking it was like breaching a contract. The Shadow Man had so many deals with those 'friends' of his that there was no way he could have come out of it any other way."

Tiana rubbed her arms a few times before she said teasingly, "You sure do know a lot about those shadows. Are you sure that's the real Naveen in there?"

He chuckled softly. "Well, I was captured by them multiple times, I should know a few things about them. Besides," Naveen continued, "Lawrence and I had quite a long chat when we were holed up in that church." Not much of it was in Naveen's favor. This did remind him though, that he should probably pay a visit to his former valet.

Turning serious, Naveen said, "You saved a lot of people, Tiana. All of New Orleans, your best friend, and myself. I am forever grateful to you."

Tiana hugged herself tightly once more, then nodded. Naveen knew that this signaled the end of this conversation, at least for now.

"Tiana, can I ask you a question?" Naveen asked after a moment.

She nodded.

"Why do you hold your arms like that?"

"Huh? Oh." Tiana immediately put her arms by her side. She hadn't even been aware that she had been hugging herself again. "I don't know. I've always kind of done it. I guess it's like… like I'm hugging myself. I think… I think especially after Daddy died it was like, I couldn't get a hug from him anymore, so I had to do it myself. "

"Tiana," Naveen said after a moment. "The next time you feel the need to do that, will you do me a favor?" When she nodded, Naveen continued. "Will you come find me and hug me instead?"

She smiled at him, and fell back into his open arms. Once more, Naveen pulled her into his lap, and they held each other for a long time.


	9. Chapter 9

Tiana's head turned as the bell above the door at Duke's rang to announce someone coming inside. She had moved so quickly that she almost spilled the coffee she was pouring. Only a sharp cry from the customer brought Tiana's attention back to her task.

"Sorry, Lester," Tiana said quickly, and finished pouring into the cup, wiping up the few droplets that had spilled. This newcomer to the cafe wasn't who she was waiting to see anyway. She felt silly for getting so worked up every time someone came in this morning, but she couldn't help it.

After their emotional evening the night before, Tiana had such a hard time saying goodnight to Naveen. More than anything she wanted him to hold her through the night, to just be there by her side, but they both knew it was too risky. That night on the couch would have to last them until things settled better into place.

' _You've got to get used to this set up anyway,_ ' Tiana had thought while they waited for the streetcar to come and take Naveen back to Lottie's guest house. ' _And it won't be forever.'_ But how long it would be before they could spend the night together again, neither could say.

While they waited they had started by simply holding hands, but soon she was in his arms again. Tiana had held him tight wishing more than ever than the streetcar would never come, that they could stay in that moment forever.

But the streetcar had come, of course. It was then that Naveen had kissed her. "You are starting work again tomorrow morning, yes?" He had whispered to her.

Work was the last thing she had wanted to think about at that moment. Still, she nodded.

"Would it be alright if I come see you then?" He nuzzled against her softly. "I do not think I can make it if I have to wait to see you until after your shift is over."

Tiana ignored the clang of the streetcar bell, and the obvious glare of the conductor. They were holding up the line. She smiled at Naveen and said, "I'll be waiting for you."

They had kissed once more, and then he was gone.

It had only been a few hours, but to Tiana it had seemed like an eternity. She hadn't expected their first night apart since they had met to feel so… lonely. Maybe that's why she was practically breaking her neck turning to see who was coming in every time the bell above the door rang.

Absentmindedly Tiana massaged the crick in her neck, telling herself once again that she was being ridiculous. Naveen would come when he would come. She knew that a watched pot never boiled, and it seemed that a watched door wasn't about to produce her husband either.

So she busied herself bussing tables and taking orders, promising herself that she wouldn't act the fool the next time that damned bell rang.

Tiana was setting down an order of boudin, eggs, and grits, when the bell chimed once more, and despite her promises, she turned.

But there he was, looking so handsome it almost seemed like a dream. Naveen caught her eye and gave her a smile. If Tiana didn't know any better, she'd say that he was just as mesmerized as she was.

Tiana quickly finished handing out the food, and before anyone could ask anything else of her, she headed over to where Naveen had settled himself.

"Hello, princess," Naveen said, and Tiana just about melted from the sound of his voice alone. Then he gave her another smile, making his dimples show and Tiana had to lean against the table, lest her knees completely buckle underneath her.

What was happening to her? Was it just because she hadn't seen him since last night? Whatever it was, Tiana tried her best to get it under control. It wouldn't do to act like this in public, especially while she was at work.

"Hey you," Tiana replied, making an extra effort to appear calm and collected. But her heart leapt as he took her hand and brought it to his lips. Naveen slowly pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"I missed you last night," he whispered.

"I missed you too."

"I was thinking of you," he asked in a low almost husky voice. Tiana felt a blush form on her cheeks, it deepened when he cupped her hand between both of his. "Were you… thinking of me?"

Another blush, another half smile. But why should she hide the truth from him? "Yes," Tiana whispered back.

He smiled again and her stomach flipped. ' _Alright, Miss Tiana, there will be plenty of time for this later.'_ This kind of behavior just wouldn't do, and she was sure Buford was watching from the kitchen. She couldn't afford to make him angry after disappearing on him for weeks. She was on thin ice as it was.

"Are you hungry?" Tiana asked, reluctantly taking her hand away from Naveen, but not before giving his hand a squeeze.

"Starved."

"Here." She handed him a menu. "Take a look at this, and I'll be back in a minute to take your order."

Tiana turned to take care of the other tables when Naveen quickly grabbed her hand again.

"Tiana, wait," Naveen said. His eyes were slightly alarmed and his whisper was hardly the seductive tone he was using on her before.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I can't…. I don't have the money to pay for this." Worry and shame flashed across his face.

Tiana gave his hand another squeeze. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It's on the house."

Naveen briefly glanced up towards the roof before giving Tiana a confused look.

Tiana had to laughed. "I mean it's free," she explained. "I'll take care of it for today."

* * *

Naveen knew he should be studying the menu Tiana had given him. She would be back soon and would want his order, But whenever he started to look it over, Naveen's eyes naturally wandered back to wherever Tiana was in the room.

This was the first time he had seen her in a work environment and it was fascinating. True he had seen her cook and plenty of other tasks, but this was different. She talked so casually to the customers as she took their orders and delivered their meals. Tiana knew everyone's name that came in, and they all seemed delighted that she was their waitress.

Well why wouldn't they be? Naveen thought. Tiana was clearly the best waitress in the whole world. Her replies to the customers friendly and sincere, but as soon as she started to move around the room she became brisk and efficient. Nothing escaped Tiana's attention to detail as she wiped up tables, and straightened napkins. She was even able to balance plates upon plates on her trays without spilling a single drop.

God, she was magnificent when she was all business.

When he caught her eye from across the room, Naveen couldn't help but wink at her. He had to bite back a laugh as Tiana grew flustered and nearly dropped the dishes she was holding.

When at last she returned to his table, Naveen realized, sheepishly, that he still had no idea what to order.

"Um, what would you recommend, darling?" Naveen asked.

Tiana rolled her eyes good naturedly, clearly aware that he hadn't done the simple task she asked him to do. "Well, the beignets are the top seller here. Can't go wrong with those."

Naveen perked up. "Those are the ones you make, yes?"

She nodded.

"Then that is what I shall have." Naveen handed her back the menu. "If you don't mind, that is, princess."

"I don't mind at all," she said with a smile that made his heart leap, and left to go make his order.

With nothing to occupy himself, Naveen was now free to watch her as he pleased, and damn if she wasn't the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And she loved him! Still! Even after he had told her everything and wept like a baby, she still loved him.

Despite the fact that he didn't have a penny to his name, and his entire country probably despised him, Naveen still felt like the luckiest man in the world.

Tiana was quick and efficient in the kitchen (this Naveen knew, but it still impressed him) and soon returned with a plate of beignets topped with heaping amounts of sugar.

"These are beignets?" Naveen asked. "Not at all what I imagined."

"What did you think it would be?" Tiana replied.

Naveen picked one up in his fingers. It was still warm, and the sugar spilled onto the table. "I don't know, but it didn't involve so much sugar." He chuckled.

Tiana quickly wiped up the mess. "That sugar gets everywhere," Tiana laughed. "Sometimes after work I find it even in my hair. There's no escaping it, I'm afraid."

"I am sure I can handle it," Naveen said, and took a bite.

All at once, a multitude of flavors hit his tongue in a way he had never experienced before. The sweetness of the sugar exemplified the seasonings baked into the pastry. And yet it was so light! It was like eating a pillow. The most delicious pillow in the world.

Such a perfect delicacy shouldn't even exist in this world, and yet here it was, on his plate, on his lips, and it was made by the person he loved most.

Naveen swallowed his first bite and gaped at Tiana.

"Well?" She asked, biting her lip. "What do you think?"

What did he think? There weren't enough words in any language he knew to describe what he thought. "You made these?" Naveen finally managed to ask.

Tiana nodded at him, but raised an eyebrow. Did he not like them?

Naveen stood from his chair and took a step towards her. "You really made these?"

"Yes…?" She was laughing softly now, though she was no less confused by his actions.

Naveen cupped her face and brought her in for a deep deep kiss.

Tiana grinned into the kiss, laughing at it all. He still had sugar on his lips. Whoops and hollers from the other customers made Tiana blush, but not enough to stop. The kiss was sweet, just like Naveen, and it seemed like ages since they had last kissed, even though it had only been a few hours.

Of course they did have to part eventually.

"My compliments to the chef," Naveen said somewhat breathlessly.

Tiana snorted and wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned in for another kiss.

"Tiana!"

She sprang back and tucked a curl behind her ears, trying to look like she hadn't just been smooching. But the way that Buford had his hands on his hips and a furious glare on his face told Tiana that she had been caught. Of course they hadn't been subtle about it at all. Oops.

"You!" Buford pointed to Naveen. "Outside. Now."

"What?" Naveen blinked. "But-"

"Now!"

Naveen wasn't used to people ordering him about this way, and was all ready to turn the tables on this man, but one glance at Tiana made him change his mind.

"Best do as he says," Tiana told him, softly.

Naveen shifted slightly. Sparing one last glance at Tiana (and his beignets) he walked out the door.

* * *

He tried to surreptitiously peek through the window, but Buford had taken Tiana into the kitchen, and from Naveen's vantage point in the front he couldn't see what was happening. That didn't mean he couldn't hear though.

Buford didn't have much of an inside voice normally, but when he was angry, well, Naveen didn't have to strain his ears to hear the lecture he was giving Tiana.

Naveen was about ready to burst back inside and defend his wife's honor when Buford loudly declared that if she had one more slip up then she was fired, and he wouldn't hire her back no matter how good her beignets were.

Fired? Tiana?

Naveen rested his head against the side of the building, all of his anger gone now. If he went back in there, Tiana was sure to get reprimanded for his actions, and Naveen knew she needed the money not only for her restaurant fund but for everything else.

Damn it.

Why did money have to be so important in this world? Once more his mind wandered to his inheritance. If he could only get it back, Tiana wouldn't have to work for jerks like this Buford person. But after telling her everything he had done to lose it, Naveen wasn't sure he deserved to get it back. Still, it would make things a lot easier for them.

The door to Duke's opened and Tiana came out.

"Hey," she said softly.

Buford be damned, Naveen ran to her and wrapped her in his arms. "Tiana I am so sorry I got you in trouble."

"It's alright," she answered, resting her head on his chest, letting herself be held. Buford had a short fuse on his good days, but he'd never been this upset with her. Tiana felt a little shaken by it all, but being with Naveen helped, even if he caused the trouble in the first place. And really, in the long run it had been worth it. She could still taste the sweetness of their kiss on her lips.

"No, it's not," Naveen said. He was rubbing her back now. It felt good. Tiana could feel her tension slipping away. "I should know better. I  _do_ know better."

She giggled slightly and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Well, it's not like I was pushing you away, was I?"

"Mmm. You're just so sexy when you're all business."

Tiana pulled back to look up at his face. "Sexy?"

He nodded, giving her those bedroom eyes that were not at all appropriate out on the street the way they were. That didn't mean Tiana wanted him to stop though. "And when I tasted those beignets. Mmm. I just had to kiss you." Naveen was swaying her back and forth now, to some silent beat. "Are you mad at me for it?"

Mad? If Buford hadn't put a stop to it, she'd still be kissing him. She wanted to kiss him right now. "No," Tiana said instead, trying to use common sense for once this morning. "But," she paused in their swaying and bit her lip. "I think it would be a good idea for you to stay away from Duke's. At least for a little while."

Tiana hated that hurt look on his face, and wished there was a way to bring back his smile. But what could she do? She could barely keep herself from kissing him now, just moments after she had gotten in trouble for it. If Naveen kept coming back it was bound to happen again.

"Yes, perhaps you are right, princess," Naveen said with a sigh. He rested his forehead against hers, and started swaying again. "Does this mean no more beignets, then?"

Tiana had to laugh. "One of the perks of being my husband is that I'll make you beignets whenever you want."

Naveen grinned warmly. "Really?"

She nodded.

Naveen spared a darting glance inside the cafe, and seeing that Buford wasn't watching them, he gave Tiana a quick chaste kiss on the lips. He wanted to do more, especially since it had to last them until she was done with work, but there was nothing to be done about it.

"I'd better go back inside," Tiana said. "My break is almost over."

"Wait, before you go inside…" Naveen took her hand and held it softly. "What ah…. What are you doing tonight?"

"Tonight? Um.. I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it." Usually she had to work, but she hadn't been able to get her job at Cal's back, so for the first time in a long time Tiana had free time. Things had been so busy for the past few days too, that she hadn't even thought about making plans. "Why?"

"Would you like to go out dancing with me?" Naveen asked.

"You mean on a date?"

He nodded.

She had kissed him, married him, slept in his arms in the bayou, and been a little intimate a few nights ago. They had seen the best and the worst parts of each other, and somehow through it all they had never really been on a proper date. Even after all they had been through, the idea of it made her feel a little nervous. But Tiana also felt excited by it.

"Okay," she said, feeling heat rush up to her cheeks.

Naveen kissed her dimple and grinned. "Great. I'll pick you up at seven."

* * *

Promptly at seven, Naveen knocked on Tiana's door. As far as he could recall, this was the first time he had ever been on time for something. Just goes to show what love will do to a person, he thought as he knocked again. It sounded like there was some commotion going on inside. Not a fight per say, but Naveen had known Tiana long enough to recognize exasperation in her voice, even through a closed door.

At last, Eudora opened the door. "Hello, Naveen," she said in a sigh. "Maybe now that you're here you can talk some sense into this daughter of mine."

"Mama, don't bring Naveen into this. He's just gonna take your side!"

Naveen could hear Tiana's voice, but as he entered the living room, she was nowhere to be seen. He assumed she must be in the kitchen. "What's going on?"

Eudora said, "Tiana told me that you're taking her out dancing tonight? Is that right?"

"Yes. If that's alright?" Was he supposed to ask permission to take her out? He hoped he hadn't messed things up even further with Tiana's mother.

Eudora grinned at him though, and Naveen's worries disappeared. "Alright? Of course it's alright! I've been trying to get Tiana to go out dancing for years! I don't know what you did to finally convince her but whatever it is, keep doing it."

"It must be my charming personality," Naveen quipped. He heard Tiana groan from the other room, and he laughed. "So what is the problem then?"

"The problem," Eudora said, "is that I made a dress for Tiana to wear out dancing, that she's never even worn, and now that she's actually going out dancing she doesn't want to wear it!"

"That's not true!" Tiana countered. "You know I love everything you make Mama, but why did you have to make this one so elaborate? I'm gonna stick out like a sore thumb, and I'm already nervous as it is. I don't need the extra attention this dress is gonna give me."

Eudora just gave Naveen a look that said, 'help me out here please'.

Naveen shifted slightly, not liking being caught between these two women. "Can I see it?"

"Yes, that sounds like a great idea," Eudora said.

"No, it doesn't," Tiana said, but Naveen could hear her laughing. "He's just gonna say I look nice, like he always does."

"But it's always true," Naveen said, sharing a smile with Eudora. "Please let me see, princess."

Tiana sighed. "Fine, fine."

She stepped out from the kitchen and Naveen had to stifle a gasp. She looked beautiful, as he knew she would, but he'd never seen her wear something like this before. Then again, considering that most of the time they had known each other they hadn't really needed clothes meant he had only seen a few of her outfits. Still, it was different than the more plain clothes she wore on a daily basis, or the more elegant ball gowns he had seen her in, including her wedding dress.

This… this was just so modern. Sleeveless, in a beautiful shade of yellow, the dress itself seemed to sparkle all on its own. Naveen could tell that just by the way she took her few tentative steps that the almost knee length skirt would flare out wonderfully when he spun her on the dance floor. It was the perfect dress for dancing. No wonder Tiana thought the dress would make people pay attention to her. Naveen couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Wow," was all he managed to say.

"It's too much, isn't it?" Tiana said, fiddling with her fingers.

"No, not at all. It is just right," Naveen replied.

Eudora grinned in triumph. "Ha. I told you, baby cakes."

Naveen caught Tiana's eyes, and a blush formed on her cheeks. "You don't think it's too flashy?"

"I think it's perfect," Naveen said. Eudora was practically beaming now, and he shifted slightly to turn his focus completely on Tiana. "But if it makes you uncomfortable, you should change."

Now it was Tiana's turn to smile.

"Hey!" Eudora said to Naveen. "I thought you were on my side!"

Naveen just shrugged his shoulders and offered her a grin.

Eudora threw her hands up in the air. "You two are impossible," she grumbled and headed towards the kitchen. "Do whatever you want, Tiana, I don't care."

"Mama, don't be mad," Tiana called after her.

"Mad?" Eudora said. "Who said anything about mad? I'm not mad. If you want to look a fool on a date that's none of my business. If you don't want to wear the dress that I painstakingly made for you, that's fine."

Naveen cringed at the sound of pots and pans being heavily moved in the kitchen. "She's upset with me," he said to Tiana softly.

"She'll get over it," Tiana said reassuringly and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for sticking up for me."

"Of course, princess," Naveen said. "It is a shame though, that I won't be able to show you off in that dress. It really is perfect for dancing."

"Really? How so?"

"Here, let me show you." Naveen took her hand and led her towards the middle of the room, away from the furniture. With one hand on hers, and the other on her waist, Naveen led them in a slow waltz around the room.

Tiana promptly stepped on his foot. "Sorry, sorry."

"It's alright."

"I thought I knew what I was doing. I guess," she paused and laughed. "I learned how to dance as a frog, and now I have to start all over again."

Naveen chuckled. "You'll catch on quick." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "You did before."

"I just have a good teacher."

But it was already coming back to her. Even though there was no music, she found his rhythm and soon they were waltzing faster around the room. Naveen sensed her confidant steps and decided it was time, and he spun her around.

"Oh!" Tiana gasped. Her skirt flared out and the carefully sewn on beads caught the light of the nearby lamp in such a way that made the dress look...well, like magic.

"You know," Tiana said once she was back in his arms. "I've changed my mind. I think I will wear this tonight." She cast a quick glance towards the kitchen, and then whispered, "Just don't tell my Mama."

Naveen laughed. "Your secret is safe with me."

* * *

The Paradise Ballroom. In all her years, Tiana never would have imagined herself coming here on a date, or even at all. Trust Naveen to have found one of the most popular dance clubs in New Orleans after only having been here for a few days.

As soon as they stepped inside, it was like going into another world. The wall of sound blasted around them, as the horns blared in a way Tiana had never heard before. 'Louis would love this,' she thought. But looking around at the swanky decor, she doubted that the alligator would be welcome here.

And it was an elegant ballroom, that was for sure. Tables were placed around the edge with beautiful tablecloths and elaborate centerpieces. The men wore suits and checked their hats, and the women, gosh. They were so beautiful. Tiana was glad she had changed her mind about wearing this dress. She had been worried about standing out before, but with this dress she blended in perfectly. At least on the outside.

Inside, Tiana was a bundle of nerves. She held onto Naveen's arm hoping to steady herself, but it could only do so much. Dancing in the bayou and in her living room was one thing, but here? She was sure she'd make a fool of herself, and of Naveen. Her only hope was that, once they settled at a table, she could distract him for the rest of the evening enough so that he wouldn't want to take her out on the dance floor.

But he was already tapping his toes, grinning wide and they hadn't even checked their coats yet.

"Hello, welcome to Paradise!" The hat check girl said to them. "There's two of you? That'll be fifty cents, please."

At once, Naveen stopped in place. "Fifty cents?"

"That's right. Twenty five cents a piece to get in. And you look like you're ready to get on the dance floor. Would you like some dance tickets?"

"Tickets?" Naveen said.

"It's 10 cents for each ticket, or three for a quarter."

Tiana now saw that the dance floor was roped off, and there was a staff member at the opening taking tickets from couples as they entered to dance.

"I-" Naveen forced out a laugh, but all of the joy from his face was gone. "I didn't know…"

"Well, you know now," the hat check girl said. Her tone was bright and friendly, but Tiana knew from years of working with the public that she was annoyed at them. "Fifty cents please."

Naveen started searching through his pockets. Tiana thought longingly of her savings she had left at home. She hadn't even thought to bring any money with her tonight, though she had a feeling there was no way Naveen would let her pay for anything even if she had.

"I don't have it," Naveen said, dejectedly.

"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the hat check girl said.

"But you don't understand," Naveen said, growing desperate. "I am the Prince of Maldonia." This always worked in Maldonia, so surely it would work here as well. At least for tonight.

"Naveen," Tiana piped in. "Come on."

The hat check girl just rolled her eyes. "Oh really? You and practically every other guy in this city have tried that to get in here for free. Well it's not going to work. Now do I have to call security?"

"That won't be necessary," Tiana said, and tugged on Naveen's arm. "Let's just go."

Naveen held his hat in his hands and allowed himself to be lead back outside.

* * *

There were plenty of events in Naveen's life that he was ashamed of, but oh boy, this? This one might just top them all.

They had walked in silence for a bit, and when Tiana tried to reassure him, Naveen only shrugged it off. He didn't deserve her sympathy. He didn't deserve her.

They had ended up in a nearby park, and now Naveen was slumped on a bench, his head in his hands.

"I'm so sorry Tiana." It felt like all he had been doing for the past few days was apologizing for himself. It felt bitter on his tongue.

"It's really ok," she answered. Tiana had wrapped her arms around his and was now resting her head on his shoulder. "That place looked dumb anyway."

Naveen gave her a half smile and rested his hand over hers. She was so wonderful to put up with him. "I just wanted to take you out somewhere nice. To treat you like the princess you are."

"I don't need any of those bells and whistles. You know that." Tiana nestled closer. "I just want to spend time with you."

He could kiss her for that, but he wouldn't, no matter how much he wanted to. Instead Naveen sighed. "Still. You deserve more." Naveen had wanted to spoil her senselessly. To give her everything her heart desired and then some.

How many times had he told himself exactly this? That he needed to be better for Tiana? That he wanted to be better for her? And still he had done nothing to change that.

This had to stop now.

"Tiana?" Naveen asked softly. "Will you help me with something?"

"Of course," she answered. "What is it?"

"Will you help me get a job?"

* * *

"You know I've always had a thing for a man in uniform," Tiana said, straightening Naveen's collar.

"Not much of a uniform," Naveen said, squirming a little under her attention. Part of him was greatly enjoying her praise and admiration, but mostly he felt mortified. "I still can't believe this is the only job I was able to get."

Who knew that getting a job could be so difficult? Both he and Tiana had scoured the classified ads in the paper looking for something, anything, Naveen could do. But growing up the way he had, Naveen had little knowledge and even less experience in even the most basic of jobs. And even the jobs that seemed like a good fit wanted more experience than Naveen had, by which they meant any.

"How am I supposed to get experience if no one will hire me?" Naveen had complained, resting his head in Tiana's lap.

She stroked his hair sympathetically. "We'll find something. Maybe there will be something new in today's paper."

Naveen sighed. This whole time they had been job searching, he had had one job in the back of his mind. One that he definitely did NOT want, but one that he was sure he could get because who in their right mind would want it? Nobody, that's who. Unless you were desperate.

Which Naveen was. "I may have an idea…" he had offered.

When he talked to them, they had offered him the job on the spot, and now here he was, Naveen, the Prince of Maldonia, about to leave for his first day of work, as a street cleaner.

Dressed in white overalls (seriously they could have at least given him something nicer to wear than this) and a white hat, Naveen would soon head off to pick up his trash can that he could wheel around the city, a push broom, and his very own shovel for picking up the unmentionables left behind by the horses that pulled the carriages.

It was going to be hell.

But the smile Tiana was giving him right now made it all worth it. And once he started getting paychecks, he could take her out properly, and add more money to her restaurant fund. He should have done this sooner.

"You don't mind being married to a lowly street cleaner?" Naveen asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. He had to leave soon, but that didn't mean he couldn't hold his wife for just a little bit longer.

Tiana cupped his face and kissed him, sweetly on the lips. "I couldn't be more proud of you," she said.

Naveen smiled down at her. "Thanks," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. Gosh, but she had the most beautiful brown eyes.

"You'd better get going, mister," Tiana said, glancing at the clock. "You don't want to be late for your first day of work."

Naveen's stomach lurched. He was nervous, lord help him. "Wish me luck?"

Tiana pressed her lips to his. "You'll do great."

"I can still stop by tonight after work, yes? For dinner?" Just saying 'after work' felt funny coming out of his mouth. And yet… also strangely satisfying.

Tiana nodded. "I'll want to hear all about your first day," she said. "And I'll make you something special too."

"Will you make some beignets?" Naveen asked, hopeful.

Tiana dimpled. "I think I can do that."


	10. Chapter 10

"It's payday, gentleman. Line up!"

Naveen practically sprang into his spot in line next to the other street cleaners. He was hardly the only one though. Everyone in line was excited and talked happily about the ways they would spend their money over the next few days while they waited for the boss, Mr. Goldberg to give them their cash. It was a type of camaraderie that Naveen had never felt before, but he found that he liked it. Though this job was far from ideal for the young prince, he was making a lot of new friends. And given their position in life, none of them seemed to care that he had basically disgraced his family and his country and wound up penniless. It was all so refreshing, even if the smells from this job left him feeling anything but.

This job also gave him a great way to explore the city. He'd even managed to track down the band that had played with Louis back during Mardi Gras, though they would need a little more convincing to prove that Louis was hardly dangerous.

Naveen knew they would come around though. Louis was such a wonderful friend, it was impossible not to like him. Hell, even Eudora had come around to the lovable gator. Tiana had told him that Louis was stopping by every morning for breakfast, and Eudora always seemed to give him extra helpings. She was even teaching him how to play cards.

"Alright, Naveen my boy," Mr. Goldberg said, now standing in front of Naveen. "You survived your first week. How was it?"

"Harder than I thought it would be," Naveen replied, but he was laughing. His first day on the job, Naveen had ended up with blisters on his hands. It was a little better now, but still, it made him aware of just how easy he had had it before. He also felt more appreciation for someone like Tiana, who had worked hard her entire life.

But that just made him love her all the more.

"Well, the first week's the hardest, they say," Mr. Goldberg said. "But it's all worth it on payday." He handed Naveen five dollar bills. "Here you go, son. Don't spend it all in one place."

"I won't, sir." Back in Maldonia, Naveen had gotten used to a seemingly unending supply of cash, but holding these five dollars that he had earned himself, he felt like the richest man in the world.

* * *

 

"I am just so proud of you!" Tiana said, for the second time in the last ten minutes. She pressed another hard kiss on Naveen's cheek and then one more on his lips.

He had taken a quick shower (a much needed necessity) and then headed right over to present his earnings to Tiana. Upon seeing the crisp dollar bills presented to her, and Naveen's wide smile, Tiana was filled with such a wave of pride, that she hadn't been able to stop kissing him.

Not that Naveen seemed to mind.

He certainly had come a long way from the frog she had first met.

"I feel like we should celebrate," Tiana said.

"Yes!" Naveen agreed. "Let's go dancing! They have to let us in now!"

"Sounds great," Tiana said enthusiastically, though her stomach jumped with nerves. Her trepidation over dancing in front of other people hadn't changed since last week. Tiana had been hoping to get some practice in before they went again, but Naveen had been so tired after work, he could hardly do more than rest his head in her lap. Two nights ago he had even fallen asleep there. Poor thing.

"You think you'll have enough energy to stay awake on the dance floor?" Tiana teased.

"Ha, ha." Naveen rolled his eyes at her, good naturedly. "I will have you know, that I have the energy of fifty men put together!" He gathered her in his arms and spun them around Tiana's living room. "Tonight we will trip the light fantastic!"

She laughed and let him lead her around the room as her nervousness about the evening few away. Naveen wasn't the only one who had come along way since they met. She knew what she was doing on the dance floor. Sometimes. But no matter how well she danced, they would have a good time, and that's really what counted.

At last, Naveen ended their dance by dipping Tiana low and kissing her softly on the lips. "Will you do something for me, love?"

She laughed, feeling light headed and giddy. "Sure. What?"

Naveen straightened them both up and looked Tiana right in the eyes. "Whatever is left after tonight, will you take it?"

"What are you talking about?" Tiana asked.

"The money," Naveen explained. "I want to give it to you. For your restaurant fund."

"Oh gosh. Oh Naveen." Tiana cupped his cheek warmly as love for him enveloped her. It felt so good to have someone on her side like this, to want to help her with her dream, but at the same time, the guilt she felt over his offer was too strong to fight it. "Thank you, but," she moved her hand to his arm and gave it a slight squeeze. "I can't take your money."

Naveen looked at her questioningly, obviously not expecting this response. "Why not?"

"You worked so hard for it," Tiana replied. "I can't just take it from you."

"But you're not taking it from me," Naveen countered. "It is a gift."

"I really can't accept it," she said. "You should spend it on something you want."

Naveen smirked at her in a challenging way. "What I want," he said, "is to give it to you for your restaurant fund."

Tiana glared at him. Oh so this was how it was going to be, huh? Well, his stubbornness was no match for hers. "This really isn't necessary, Naveen. Please don't feel obligated to do this because we're married."

"Tiana," Naveen had to chuckle softly. "It is because we are married that I want to do this. I married you because I care about you, and loving someone means that you want their dreams to succeed." He cupped her hands in his, warmly. "I promised you I would help you get your dream, and right now, this is all I can do to help. Please let me."

Tiana just stared at their hands. Why was it so hard to accept his help? She knew why, of course. Because there was still a part of her that felt like she needed to get her restaurant all by herself. That getting help from someone made her efforts less somehow. Made her less somehow.

It was all complete nonsense, she knew. This wasn't at all taking the easy way out, or making some sort of backwards deal with someone untrustworthy. This was her husband.

Still. Tiana shifted slightly in her seat. "I can't take all of your money," she said eventually, feeling guilty even at the thought. She rubbed his hands gently, feeling the new blisters on his skin.

Naveen sighed heavily, growing annoyed. "So take some of it."

"But-"

He shushed her gently by placing a single finger over her lips. "Tiana, please. If you say no, you know I am only going to find a different way to give you this money. I will give it to your mother, or I will put it in your coat pockets, or I will find where you have the rest of the restaurant fund and put in in there myself if I have to."

Naveen counted out some of his money and placed it in her hands. "Here," he said. "It isn't all of it. It is about three fourths."

Tiana frowned and handed him some back. "I'll take one fourth."

"Half," Naveen said, firmly placing the money back in her hand.

Their eyes locked, in a stalemate. Until Tiana finally relented. "Fine," she said with a slight sigh. "But no more than that, deal?"

"Deal," he agreed and shook her hand when she offered it.

The front door opened just then, Eudora came inside, her arms full of bags. Naveen immediately got up to help her.

"Hello, Babycakes. Thank you, Naveen," Eudora said as he took her bags. She let out her breath quickly and smiled wearily at her daughter.

"What is all this, Mama?" Tiana asked, giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek.

"It's all the fabric for the Landry family wedding," Eudora explained. "Besides her wedding dress, she wants a new dress for the rehearsal dinner. Not to mention two dresses for each of the bridesmaids."

"Don't tell me they want rehearsal dinner dresses for them too?" Tiana asked, incredulously.

Eudora nodded with another sigh.

"Poor Mama," Tiana said. She gave her mother's cheek another kiss.

"All this for a wedding?" Naveen asked, eyeing all the bags with disbelief. "They should just have their wedding in the bayou. That's where all the best weddings take place." He winked at Tiana.

Despite everything, she felt the heat rush up to her cheeks. It felt strange hearing him talk so openly about their wedding when they were trying so hard to keep it a secret. But it was also very very nice.

"Nevertheless," Eudora said with a smile, Tiana noticed, "I have a lot of work to do."

"That is a lot of work, Mama," Tiana said, and all at once she realized what she had to do. She glanced at Naveen and caught his eye, but his wide grin faltered slightly when he realized what the look meant. She could see the disappointment in his eyes, and Tiana felt it too. She had wanted to celebrate tonight just as much as him.

After a moment, Naveen nodded slightly. Tiana could kiss him for it, and would when her Mama wasn't in the room.

"Let me help you with everything, Mama," Tiana said. She started to gather up the fabric to fold and sort in neat piles.

"What?" Eudora looked confusedly at her daughter. "I thought you were going to celebrate tonight. Isn't it your first payday, Naveen?"

"Well, yes," Naveen admitted. "But we can always go dancing another time."

"Dancing?" Eudora turned to Tiana. "You were going out dancing? For real this time?"

Out of the corner of Tiana's eye she saw Naveen turn beet red. Of course they had told Eudora of the disastrous attempt at the club last time. She had at least offered sympathy to them, saying that when she had gone dancing with James in her youth the prices hadn't been so outlandish. Even that hadn't erased Naveen's deep embarrassment of the whole thing.

"Yes, we were," Tiana explained. "But-"

Eudora held up a finger, silencing her daughter. "Tiana," she said firmly in a tone that Tiana knew well. Her mother meant business. "You know how long I've been trying to get you to go out dancing, so what makes you think for one second that I am going to keep you here tonight?"

Tiana sighed, and tried again. "Mama-"

"You know I have had bigger orders than this and gotten along just fine." Eudora took the fabric from Tiana. "I know you feel guilty going out and having fun while I'm here, but you know I don't mind the work. I like it as much as you like cooking for people."

And still Tiana wouldn't be put off. "But Mama, this is still a lot. I can help you."

"If you really want to help me you can start by getting out of my hair so I can have some peace and quiet around here," Eudora said with a smirk. She cupped Tiana's cheek. "This is what parents want for their children, Babycakes. Go. Have a good time."

Tiana still looked unsure, and so Eudora sighed. "If you still really want to help me, you can do it tomorrow."

Tiana looked to Naveen again, who had such a hopeful expression on his face that she couldn't disappoint him. It was his night to celebrate after all. She couldn't take that away from him. "I guess I'd better go change," she said and turned to head upstairs.

Once she was gone, Naveen chuckled to himself a little. "I see where she gets it now. Her stubbornness," he explained when Eudora have him a questioning look.

She frowned playfully making Naveen laugh. "I am sorry, I didn't mean any offense."

"None taken," Eudora replied laughing herself. "Has she been causing you trouble then?"

"No," he answered, stroking one of the fabrics between his thumb and forefinger absentmindedly. It was white, so he assumed it was for the bride. Such a shame that his own bride hadn't been able to wear a traditional wedding dress.

"It is only that, just before you came in, Tiana was quite firmly rejecting my offer to take some of my earnings for her restaurant fund," Naveen continued.

"That sounds like Tiana, alright," Eudora said, smiling.

"Though happily, I was able to convince her."

Eudora stopped what she was doing and stared at Naveen. "Really?"

He grinned at her. "Do you doubt the power of my charming personality?"

"After knowing you for these past few weeks? No," she quipped. "Still, it takes someone very special to change Tiana's mind once she's set it on something."

Naveen shared a soft smile with Eudora. They both turned towards the stairs as Tiana reappeared in her dancing dress. "Ready to go, Naveen?" she asked.

"Ready as I will ever be," he answered, holding out his arm for her. Naveen kissed her dimple. "You look beautiful, darling."

"Thanks," Tiana beamed, and turned to Eudora. "Well, we're off, Mama. You sure you haven't changed your mind?"

"Not a chance," Eudora replied, making Naveen laugh again. Eudora was where Tiana got her quick wit as well, he thought. "But before you go, there is something I would like to say to you both."

"Oh?" Tiana said as Naveen felt his stomach drop. In his experience, conversations that started like this never ended well. She squeezed his arm lightly.

"I just want to say," Eudora began, "that even though it's only been a couple of weeks since you came back and that things aren't quite… settled as far as everything goes."

That was an understatement, Naveen thought, but he kept it all to himself. He put his hand over Tiana's and squeezed.

"But," Eudora continued, "I've been watching how you two are together, and I still don't know if I believe how you two found each other, but I am glad you did."

Naveen was afraid to breathe. That doing so would somehow break this illusion they had to be in. This didn't seem like bad news at all, in fact it seemed like it could go in the complete opposite direction, though Naveen was afraid to hope for it.

"These past few weeks, I've seen you two show the strong foundation of a good marriage by building trust and supporting each other," Eudora said with a smile at their gaping faces.

"You make a good team," she continued, "And whatever happens next, I want you to know that I'm on your side."

Tiana blinked a few times before asking, "What exactly are you saying, Mama?"

"I'm giving you my blessing to be married."

"Oh, Mama!" Tiana burst into tears and ran into her mother's arms.

Naveen was too shocked to do much of anything at first, besides grin widely. So when he caught Eudora's eye and she beaconed him into the hug, he eagerly accepted. Squeezing both women tight, they all began to laugh.

"Now this doesn't mean y'all can start going around saying you're married now," Eudora said once they had relinquished the hug.

"Yes, yes, of course," Naveen agreed, handing Tiana his handkerchief to wipe away her tears. His arm automatically went around her waist again, holding her close.

Eudora's eyes were a little glossy too. She took in a deep breath and smiled happily at them. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know."

"Thank you, Mama," Tiana said, her emotions somewhat under control again.

"Yes, thank you," Naveen said. "You have no idea what this means to us."

Eudora gave them a small smile. "I do have some idea."

* * *

 

Tiana hummed a simple tune to herself as she prepped her kitchen for Naveen to stop by. She smiled a little when she started dancing just a little. Last night had been so wonderful, she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Naveen's triumphant grin when he had presented his hard earned cash to the hat check girl at the Paradise had been priceless. Tiana only wished she could have taken a picture of it. One of those moving picture cameras might have been better though. Naveen was always very handsome, but never more than when he was dancing to the beat of a jazz band. It would be impossible to capture that spark with anything that didn't allow movement.

Despite all of her pep talks to herself, Tiana still found herself nervous at the idea of dancing in public. Naveen was a patient teacher with her, though. They started with the slow songs, which Tiana thought might have happened regardless. The adagio tempos gave her a chance to remember all that Naveen had taught her, but it also left plenty of opportunities for knowing glances and sneaking kisses.

And oh how she wanted to kiss him. Every love song that played seemed to be playing just for them. Tiana had rested her head on Naveen's shoulder while they swayed to the music, so happy and so in love, she never wanted the evening to end. Tiana felt like the luckiest woman in the world to be dancing in Naveen's arms that night.

When the music had picked up Naveen shared a wild look with Tiana, and before she knew it she was practically flying across the dance floor. But soon Tiana was laughing and moving her feet like she'd been dancing her whole life. What had she been so nervous about? This was marvelous! Dancing like this with Naveen was a whole other level of joy that Tiana hadn't even known existed.

Song after song they danced together, only taking in each other and the music. But of course eventually they did have to head home. That didn't stop Naveen from twirling Tiana around the empty lantern lit streets.

"Did I really do ok?" Tiana asked, coming back into his arms. Her feet were hurting, and she knew there would be hell to pay tomorrow, but she couldn't stop dancing with him. Her cheeks hurt too, from smiling too much. Neither one of them had stopped grinning all night.

"Oh darling, you were wonderful!" Naveen said, playfully dipping her as they walked on the sidewalk. "Everyone wanted to dance with you."

"That is such a lie," she laughed.

"It is true and you know it," Naveen replied, straightening them both up and giving her a quick kiss. "Will you come out dancing with me again on my next payday?"

"Yes, of course." She couldn't wait, though they would have to. A week had never seemed so long before.

And then before they knew it, they were back in front of Tiana's house. Neither was ready for the evening to end, so they lingered casually on the porch. But it wasn't too long before Tiana was pressed against the wall with Naveen's hands on her waist and his lips pressed against hers.

His tongue teased hers, making her giggle and sigh into his kisses. It all felt so magical. Could it be she was under another spell? Naveen's hands moved cautiously down to her rear, and he squeezed. Tiana gasped softly, and knew that she was under a spell. Whether it was love or lust, it didn't really matter right now, especially when his hands were doing so many interesting things.

From being on her rear, they were now moving upwards. Briefly, so briefly, he brushed them over her breasts.

Tiana gasped, louder this time.

Naveen broke away from their kiss. "Ah, sorry," he grinned sheepishly while trying to catch his breath. "I am getting carried away again."

His hands had moved to the relative safety of her waist, and Tiana longed for his hands to go back where they had just been. She cupped his cheek, breathing hard herself, and said, "I don't mind."

Naveen let out a soft, low, throaty chuckle. It made her insides squirm. "I know, princess," he said, his breath hot on her skin. "But this is hardly the best place for this, no?"

In a million years Tiana never would have guessed that Naveen would be the one using common sense in a situation like this. She wondered if it was because she's never really necked with anyone before. Or maybe it was that she was addicted to his touch, his kisses, his taste. It was that spell she was under, and it was doing strange things to her mind and her body. She liked it.

Tiana took in a deep breath, willing the night air to clear her head, just a little, but Naveen was still pressed against her, so instead she breathed in him. She licked her lips, swollen from his kisses (his lips were swollen too, she was happy to report). Somewhere down the street, one of her neighbors knocked over something with a loud crash. Despite the late hour, it was followed by exclamations and laughter. It was that that finally brought Tiana to her senses.

"Mmm, I suppose there are better places for this than the front porch." At least the porch light was off, but that did little to secure their privacy from anyone who happened to walk by.

"It is getting rather late as well," Naveen said matter of factly. "I don't want you to be too tired tomorrow."

Tired? How many mornings had she woken up exhausted from working the night before? At least in this case, if she were tired tomorrow it would be from a magical evening that she didn't want to end.

Tiana wrapped her arms around his neck, and twirled some of his curls around her finger. "I don't mind that either"

Naveen groaned softly and pressed his forehead against hers. "What have I done to you?" he whispered playfully.

Tiana giggled happily as he kissed her again.

"Unfortunately for you," Naveen said, "I do mind if you are tired tomorrow."

Tiana pouted, and now it was Naveen's turn to laugh. He kissed her once more, lingering just a little longer this time. When they parted, they looked deep into each other's eyes and Naveen gave her a lopsided grin. "Goodnight,  _mi sitara lu'seinn,_ " he said, stroking her cheek.

"You've called me that before.  _Mi sitara lu'seinn,"_ Tiana said, repeating the phrase as best as she could, but she didn't have the knack for the pronunciation. "What does it mean?"

"Ah, it is um," Naveen paused for a moment. Was he blushing? It was hard to see in the dark. Bless him if he was. "It is just a Maldonian phrase."

"Well, I gathered that," Tiana said. She pushed back some of his curls. "But what does it mean?"

"Well, roughly translated, it means, um," Naveen laughed softly again. "My shining star."

That was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. "Oh," was all she managed to say. But she dimpled, and so did Naveen.

Their lips met in another kiss, and it was a few more minutes before they were able to say goodnight.

Tiana smiled to herself now, remembering. A pleasant feeling coursed through her stomach as she set out a measuring cup. They were going to have a long overdue cooking lesson, and she couldn't wait to see him again.

A quick spirited knock at the door let her know he had beamed and rushed to the door. Once she opened it, she couldn't help but kiss him, something Naveen happily reciprocated.

"Hello, princess. This is for you," he said, and handed her a small daisy, freshly picked by the looks of it.

Well, Tiana couldn't let that go without another kiss, a quick one this time. After all, they couldn't stand here kissing all day, no matter how much she wanted to.

Taking him by the hand, Tiana led Naveen back to the kitchen.

"Feeling tired today, princess?" he asked, teasingly.

When Tiana turned to glare at him, he winked at her. Damn him. "I've never felt more awake, thank you very much," she replied. Tiana filled a small jar with water for her flower, and placed it on the windowsill. It somehow it made the whole room seem friendlier, happier. But maybe that was in part due to knowing who had given it to her.

"So," she said, turning back to him, "are you ready for your first official cooking lesson?"

"You mean mincing up mushrooms in the bayou doesn't count?" Naveen asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Tiana rolled her eyes, but smiled. "We will be using actual cookware and a stove today, so I think it's a far improvement than the bayou."

"Alright, chef," Naveen said, surveying all that she had set out on the table for him. "What are we going to be making today?"

"You are going to make jambalaya."

"Jambalaya?" It sounded more like music than food, but then again that's what food was in Tiana's hands. Naveen shifted slightly, growing nervous that he wouldn't meet her expectations. There were a lot of ingredients too. "It sounds complicated."

"It's not," Tiana said. "Trust me."

"I do."

She smiled at him again and helped him tie an apron around his waist after he washed his hands. "Alright, so the first thing we need to do," Tiana said, "is to prep the vegetables. We'll be starting with the holy trinity. Do you remember what that is?"

Naveen pursed his lips in thought. Tiana had briefly explained once that there were three vegetables that made up the base of almost every traditional New Orleans recipe. Everyone called them the holy trinity. "Onions, bell pepper and… celery?"

"That's right." Tiana placed an onion on the cutting board in front of him. "I'm going to guess you've never chopped up an onion before."

"You would be correct." Naveen eyed the onion suspiciously. With it's paper skin it hardly looked appetizing. Though none of the other ingredients laid out looked particularly appealing by themselves.

Before they started Tiana patiently showed him how to hold a knife properly. It felt funny in his hand, big and cumbersome. And sharp. He thought he could feel the scars on his hand throb briefly. But if Tiana said this was the way to do it properly, then this is how he would do it.

Tiana then had him cut the stem off, and then slice the whole onion in half leaving the root intact. He peeled the paper skin off and then made a series of (albeit sloppy) horizontal cuts towards the root. Then, as directed, he then made a few vertical cuts pointing the tip of the knife toward the root, trying to make the cuts as close to the root as possible without cutting through. Finally, he was able to make perpendicular slices.

To Naveen's amazement, diced pieces appeared on the cutting board. " _Achidanza!_ " Naveen exclaimed, grinning widely at Tiana. "Look at that!"

"Great job!" Tiana said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Think you can do the other half by yourself?"

Naveen nodded and blinked hard, fighting back… tears? Was he crying? He laughed a little to himself. Sure it felt great to actually do something productive like this, but he was well beyond the stage where he needed to cry over it.

The more he cut, the worse his tears became. They were stinging now, too. What the hell? Feeling very silly about the whole thing, Naveen quickly wiped his eyes with his hands, not realizing they were covered in the onion juice.

" _Fukza!_ " Naveen screamed. The pain and stinging in his eyes was suddenly unbearable

"Naveen?! What is it?" Tiana exclaimed.

With his eyes shut tight, he couldn't see the deeply concerned look on her face, but he felt her strong hand guide him and lean him over while he shouted in pain. Naveen was positive that he was never going to be able to see again, and that only seemed to make everything worse.

"Relax, Naveen. Everything is going to be fine," Tiana said, her tone lighter than he thought the situation called for. In fact… was she laughing at him? How could she when he had just lost his sight forever? He'd never be able to see her beautiful face again and she was laughing at him?

Naveen felt blissfully cold water splashed over his eyes, and his pain lessened slightly. He finally realized she had him bent over the sink.

"There now," she said calmly, gently splashing more water over his eyes. "You're gonna be just fine." Tiana had a hand cupped around the back of his neck and she was rubbing it slightly.

Naveen was still breathing heavily but the pain was almost gone now. Still, he was afraid to open his eyes. "What-?" he started.

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you," Tiana said. "Onions have a… substance? Or a chemical, I guess, that irritates our eyes and makes us cry. It didn't even cross my mind that you wouldn't know that." He felt her kiss his cheek softly.

There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Tiana said. "Here." She put a wet washcloth in his hands, and kissed him once more. "Cover your eyes with this."

Naveen did as he was told, feeling all kinds of foolish. After a few minutes, he carefully took away the washcloth and opened his eyes. They felt raw and dry, but somehow, miraculously he could see. Tiana had been right. How many different ways could he embarrass himself in front of his wife? Well, here was one more for the list.

He looked at his reflection in one of the spoons laid out, and saw that his eyes were completely bloodshot. Great.

When Tiana came back into the room, Naveen was trying to think of some sort of quip he could say to diffuse his embarrassment, but the look on Tiana's face made him rethink that decision. She didn't seem upset, but focused intently on something she was holding. Definitely not in the mood for a joke.

"Who was at the door?" Naveen asked.

Tiana glanced up at him. "It was the mailman," she answered. "He brought you a letter. I… I think it's from your parents."

Tiana held up the letter in her hands, and even from across the room Naveen recognized Baba's neat and careful handwriting.

His heart rate speed up exponentially, and his stomach dropped. Here was everything they had been waiting for, ever since they had first returned from the bayou. Inside this letter would direct them towards their next steps, and could possibly determine the fate of their entire marriage.

' _Stop being so dramatic,'_  Naveen thought as he took a seat at the kitchen table, the cooking lesson forgotten for now. But no matter what he told himself, that didn't change the fact that his parents held a lot of power over his life and what he wanted to do with it.

As he opened the letter, Tiana found herself start to tremble. Finding this ridiculous, though not being able to stop, Tiana sat down across from him, all the while not taking her eyes off of his face while he read.

Naveen's expression had been apprehensive when he started to read, and as he continued, she watched it change until it finally settled on something she'd never seen on his face before. Tiana couldn't quite place it, but whatever he was feeling right now, it didn't look good.

"What does it say?" Tiana asked, finally, too curious to keep it in any longer, yet at the same time dreading the answer she needed to hear.

Naveen sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It says…" he sighed again. "It doesn't say anything."

Tiana's jaw clenched tight. She couldn't believe this. After all they had been through together he didn't want to tell her what was in the letter? After all they meant to each other, he didn't trust her? "Naveen," Tiana said firmly. "You have to tell me."

"I told you, it doesn't say anything," Naveen replied, trying to fold the letter up again but his hands were shaking too much to stick it back in the envelope. Shaking either from fear or anger, Tiana couldn't tell, and right now she didn't care. "I will take care of it, don't worry."

"Oh so there's something to take care of in there?" Tiana asked. She wanted to grab the letter from his hands and just read it herself, but even sitting across from him she could see that it wasn't written in English. Tiana doubted she could reasonable translate it from Maldonian, given that she only knew a few basic words and pet names.

"Please don't worry about it," Naveen said. "I said I will take care of it."

"Do you not know me at all?" Tiana replied, her temper finally exploding. "You know that I have been thinking about what they would say ever since we turned human again! So you think that, now that you actually know what they said, I'll suddenly forget? That it somehow doesn't matter to me anymore what they think about me or the fact that we're married?"

There was a tightness in Naveen's expression, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"God damn it, Naveen!" Tiana continued. "I am your wife! If you can't tell me what it says, then-"

"They want me to go back!" Naveen interrupted, finally looking at her, his eyes were furious. "Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Tiana could still feel the anger swarming through her, her pulse pounding fast. But his answer left her speechless.

"They think this is all some sort of game," Naveen continued, tossing the letter across the table to her with more force than it needed. Not that she could read it anyway. "They think that I am doing this to get back at them for cutting me off!"

Tiana's thoughts were so jumbled, she didn't know what to think. She could only stare at the letter in front of her, written in a language she had never even heard of a few months ago. How could something so simple as a letter basically destroy everything she had grown to love? "And now they want you to go back."

"They even sent me a ticket." Naveen gestured towards the letter.

Her own hands were shaking now, but Tiana managed to open it to find a first class ticket to the next ocean liner to Maldonia. It was due to leave in a few days. "Oh god," she whispered, almost to herself.

"I'm not going, though," Naveen said.

Tiana blinked, finally coming back to her senses and reality. "You're not?"

"No! Of course not!" Naveen reached over and squeezed Tiana's hand so tight it started to hurt, but she was glad for it and clung to him just as hard. She still hadn't quite comprehended everything, but the thought… just the thought of him leaving was too much to bear.

"I'm never going to leave you. Ever." Naveen then ripped up the ticket into tiny pieces. He gently pulled Tiana to his side of the table and guided her into his lap, where he held her tight.

"What do we do now?" Tiana asked, feeling empty inside.

"I will write them back and explain everything. Better this time." He was stroking her hair now, and his touch made her want to weep. "I will make them understand. And they will. They have to."

"It's hopeless, isn't it?"

"What? You're giving up already?" Naveen was giving her a playful smile, but she could tell that it was forced. "That's not like you, Tiana. Where is that stubborn streak when we actually need it?"

To Tiana's surprise, her lips started to tremble a little, and a soft whimper managed to escape.

"Aw, darling. I'm sorry. Come here." Naveen pulled her in for another tight hug, pressing a kiss to her temple while he rocked her gently.

"They hate me," Tiana cried softly.

"They don't hate you. They haven't even met you."

"That doesn't matter, they hate me all the same." Tiana sniffed. "There's nothing I can do that will make me good enough for you."

"Tiana, no." Naveen gently cupped her face in his hands and gently smoothed back her curls. "I promise you, this has nothing to do with you."

Tiana frowned. "I think it has  _something_  to do with me." She was the one he had married after all, how could it not have something to do with her?

Naveen cringed. "That is not what I meant." He tucked a curl behind her ear. "What I mean is, that they are angry with me. At least, that is what it sounds like. I think they would have acted the same no matter who I married. Not that I want to marry anyone else," Naveen added quickly.

Tiana rested her head on his shoulder. She wished that things could go back to how they had been last night, when they had been so happy, and so blissfully unaware that this letter was coming their way. But Tiana knew that you couldn't get anything done by just wishing for it.

Still, she wondered - could they ever get back to that happy place again?

"So you'll write another letter?" Tiana asked, absentmindedly fiddling with his tie.

"Yes." Naveen took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't have the slightest clue of what to say, though."

"I'll help you."

Naveen leaned down and pressed his lips softly against her dimple. "Thank you, love."

Tiana gave him a small smile, it felt like her first smile in ages. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier."

Naveen chuckled. "I am sorry too. Let's kiss and make up."

The kiss itself was short, but it did make Tiana feel a lot better.

She sighed, and reluctantly stood. "I'll get some paper and a pencil. We might as well start on that letter now."

"What? Now?" Naveen asked. "What about the jambalaya?"

Tiana placed a hand to her forehead. "Oh gosh, I completely forgot." They had promised Eudora that there would be dinner ready by the time she got home, too. There was still plenty of time, but they couldn't dilly dally.

"Alright, I guess we'll finish with that first, and then we'll start the letter. Luckily it doesn't take too long to get everything in the pot. Unless you want to cry over the other half of that onion?" Tiana tentatively ventured, testing the air between them with a slight tease.

Naveen smirked, and Tiana knew it was alright. "Hey, I didn't know!"

She kissed him softly. "I know. Try this, it should help." Tiana opened the breadbox and took out a slice of bread. She tore off a small piece and handed it to Naveen. "Put this between your front teeth."

Naveen was looking at her like she was crazy, but he took the bread anyway. "This really helps with onions?"

"I know. It's ridiculous, but it really does help. Trust me."

"I do."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! Can you believe it's been a year since I started writing this story? Actually writing it instead of having it live inside my head? There is a lot more to this story, but this seemed like a good opportunity to say thank you to all my readers for sticking with me on my first ever multi chapter work, and an extra thank you to all those who have left reviews. Seriously, your comments have kept me motivated to continue writing this story. I honestly didn't think anyone would be interested in this story and was just writing it for myself, but the fact that so many of you have commented saying that you enjoy it means the world to me. Thank you thank you! This is the longest chapter I've ever written, and it was also the hardest to write to this point, so I don't feel like it's my best but at this point I don't know how to make it better. If you have any feedback I would love to hear it.
> 
> Now onto business. In this chapter there will be significant dialogue in Maldonian. While I am more than willing to make up a few words and sentences here and there, I don't have it in me to make up entire conversations and then figure out a way to translate them so that you will understand what they are saying. So instead what I am doing is formatting Maldonian dialogue so it looks a little different. It will be in brackets and also in italics {"So it will look like this."} Hopefully this makes sense.
> 
> Thank you again everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful summer!

 

Never let it be said that Naveen didn't know how to distract his wife. Kisses were his favorite way to do that, of course, but Naveen had a creative mind and was more than willing to do what he could to take Tiana's mind off of the letter they had sent and the coming reply from his parents. It helped distract him from those thoughts as well. Now that Naveen knew exactly how his parents felt about everything, well, he didn't have high hopes for this next reply from them, no matter how good the letter he had sent them had been.

And it was a good letter, too. Tiana had a wonderful way with words. Naveen wished that he had asked for her help on his first letter, though he doubted his parents response would have been much different.

It was still so frustrating though! If they could only meet Tiana, even for five minutes he knew they would approve of her. How could they not? She was the most wonderful person in the world!

But he tried not to dwell on it to much, and whenever he inevitably did, Naveen turned that energy onto his wife.

Chances were, when they weren't working they were spending time together having dancing lessons in Tiana's living room, or dancing at the Paradise on Naveen's payday. The cooking lessons went on as well, and Naveen was proud to say that he could now chop, dice, and mince all kinds of food, and he hadn't cried once, thank you very much, not even when he had cut his fingers (though he did swear quite loudly).

Louis was a good distraction, too. He kept stopping by Tiana's house in the mornings for breakfast, so soon the appearance of the giant gator stopped being a shock to everyone in the neighborhood. In fact, Louis was quickly becoming something of a local celebrity, even more so than Naveen was. For news that the missing prince was in fact Tiana's new beau had finally spread, as well as some of the story of his fall from grace so to speak.

Any adoring looks he had received initially had changed to laughter hidden behind hands, once his story had come out. Sometimes people would even brazenly mock him out in the open, especially when he was sweeping the streets during the day. Naveen tried not to mind. It helped to have the other street sweeper's support, and Tiana's too, of course. Always Tiana's.

She would kiss him sweetly and tell him that she loved him, and that was all Naveen needed to feel better. Because what did he care what these strangers thought about him? The only person whose opinion really mattered to him was already on his side. So Naveen would kiss her back, whispering sweet nothings to her, and he hoped that this alleviated at least some of her anxiety about their future.

On their more quiet nights together they would talk a little about it, their future, usually while sitting on the porch swing enjoying some iced tea (Naveen's new favorite). But Naveen noticed that they were both careful about anything they had to offer on the subject. They spoke mostly in vague ideas unless the conversation geared towards Tiana's restaurant, which was a much firmer future than anything involving their marriage.

It was on one of these quiet moments when no matter what Naveen did, he couldn't seem to take Tiana's worries away from her. It was the early evening, with the sun still shining for a few more hours, but the city was already winding down to rest. Well, unless you were in the French Quarter, then the evening was just getting started.

But both Tiana and Naveen had had a busy day, and were looking forward to spending the evening off of their feet. Tiana hadn't said what was on her mind yet, but Naveen could read her like a book. Tiana wasn't a very good liar at the best of times, but he knew her well enough now to be able to detect even the slightest hint that something was wrong. The way her eyes darted slightly, or the way her mouth crinkled just so. Naveen had memorized it long ago, and still he wished more than anything he could make it go away.

So Naveen did the only thing he could do - he draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her in closer. Tiana didn't fight it, and even offered him a half smile when he kissed her cheek. He was about to ask her what was on her mind, hoping they could talk it out, when several people shouted his name from the street.

Reluctantly, Naveen tore his attention away from his wife and looked towards the noise. He had to smile though, when he saw a few of the neighborhood boys he had gotten to know over the last few weeks. They clomped up the few porch steps and stood before Naveen and Tiana, trying to catch their breaths.

Tiana said, "Hello, boys."

"Hello, Miss Tiana," they chorused, politely, before turning to Naveen with hopeful grins.

"Naveen, come play baseball with us," Charles, the oldest, said.

"Can't you see that I am busy at the moment?" Naveen asked, his arm still draped around Tiana.

"Please, Naveen," one of the other boys, Billy, begged. "We want to play but we don't have enough people." They all put on their best puppy dog eyes, making Naveen groan and Tiana laugh.

"Go ahead," Tiana said, patting his knee. "I don't mind. Go have some fun."

Naveen smirked. "Alright, alright. I'll join you, on one condition."

Youthful cheers from the boys were quickly replaced by uneasiness.

"I'll play if Tiana can play too."

The boys groaned in unison, Billy even being so dramatic as to flop on the floor. "But she's a girl! Girls can't play baseball!"

"Excuse me?" Tiana said, putting her hands on her hips.

"No offense, Miss Tiana."

Normally, Tiana would have given these boys a stern but heartfelt lecture on sexism in sports and in the world, but the truth was, she wasn't at all sure she wanted to play in the first place. Two parts of her were battling each other inside her mind. One part wanted to prove to them that women can do anything men can do, while the other part, perhaps the more rational part, remembered that she had never played baseball before, and that she would embarrass herself and in the minds of those boys that would prove their point.

"Come on, it'll be fun," Naveen assured everyone, including Tiana. He stood up and held out his hand to her. "It'll be fine, princess. I'll show you how to play."

Somewhat hesitantly she took his hand, while the boys groaned again, but dutifully went to the street to set up. It may not be exactly the game they were looking for, but they did have two more people to play, and that counted for something.

"Do they have baseball in Maldonia?" Tiana asked.

"No," Naveen answered, then grinned at Tiana. "I learned how to play last week when you were having tea with Charlotte."

The fact that Naveen was almost as new to this as Tiana was, should have made her feel better, but when he started casually swinging the baseball bat around, it was clear he was a natural. Why would these boys have practically begged him to play if he wasn't good at it?

"Here, Tiana," Naveen said, handing her the bat. "I'll show you how to swing."

The eyes of boys were on her, and Tiana tried to ignore their teasing and gestures for everyone to come in further to home plate. As furious as she was, that didn't stop her limbs from shaking slightly. These were just kids, why was she so nervous?

Naveen suddenly surprised her by wrapping his arms around her from behind, guiding her hands to the bat. Now Tiana could see why he wanted her to play.

"You want to place your hands here," Naveen said. His front was comfortably resting against her back, and he had even leaned forward enough so that their cheeks were brushing. "And hold the bat about this high. And don't forget to bend your knees."

"Naveen, I'm left handed," Tiana laughed. "This scheme of yours isn't going to work."

"Scheme? What scheme?" Naveen tried to look innocent, but failed. "Alright, fine. Turn the other way and make sure your left hand is on top."

Tiana did so, but without Naveen's arms around her, she felt silly. "Like this?"

"That's right," Naveen said. "Charles, are you pitching?" When the boy answered yes, Naveen told him to go ahead and throw the ball to Tiana.

"What?!" Tiana looked shocked. Surely there was still more to learn before she actually took a swing. And if there wasn't… maybe that was enough for the day. She'd try it again tomorrow, or never.

"I know you can do it, love."

Inwardly, Tiana groaned. For once it would be nice if Naveen didn't have such faith in her. But fine. She would try.

"Go easy on me, Charles," she said, raising the bat, ready to swing.

Charles just smirked, as if going easy was the last thing on his mind. He wound up and threw.

Tiana screamed as the ball came towards her, or at least it seemed like she did. She'd never seen Charles throw a ball so fast. Then again she'd never been the target of one of his throws either, and perspective changed everything. She didn't even think as she swung the bat, and was surprised by the loud clack when she actually hit the ball. She actually hit it!

"Holy cow!"

"Wow! Look at that!"

" _Achidanza_ , Tiana! That's a home run!" Naveen swooped her up in his arms and twirled her around laughing all the while. Of course he remembered that she should be running the bases, but this was so much better. She had hit the ball practically to the next block. It had almost hit someone walking in the street, too!

The person in question bent to pick up the ball, and walked casually back towards the players.

"Little help?" Charles shouted, but the man just kept walking, taking his time as he did so.

Naveen furrowed his brows at the stranger. There was something about him that seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. It wasn't until the man came closer that Naveen's stomach dropped and any happiness he had felt even moments ago evaporated.

He did know this man, and nothing good could come of his being here.

At last, the stranger was standing in front of Naveen and Tiana. He dutifully dropped the baseball into Charles' outstretched hands, and then turned to Naveen.

{" _Hello, your highness,"}_ he said.

{" _What are you doing here, Kedar?_ "} Naveen asked.

{ _"Well that's a fine way to greet a fellow countryman,"_ } Kedar replied.{ _"After all, I've come all this way just to see you. The least you could do is show a little respect."_ }

Billy tugged impatiently at Naveen's sleeve. "Come on, let's keep playing."

"Um… perhaps another time," Naveen said, making all the boys voice their disappointment. "I'm sorry fellas."

"You'll still play, won't you, Miss Tiana?" Billy asked, turning to Tiana, any reservation about girls playing baseball having been forgotten.

Tiana glanced at Naveen, and then Kedar. "I'm sorry, I think I'm going to have to take a rain check on that."

The boys, tired of waiting for the grown ups decided they would head over to the park and find something else to do. Now there was just the three of them. Tiana caught Naveen's eye, worry plainly etched on her face. But how could he explain everything to her?

Kedar was the Captain of the Royal Guard in Maldonia. He wasn't in full uniform at the moment, but he was wearing the official blue that all Maldonian officers wear. He even had a saber on his waist. Of course it was mostly for decoration, but Naveen knew that it was real, and very sharp. And in Kedar's hands, it could be very deadly.

{ _"I will ask you again, Kedar. What are you doing here?"_ }

Kedar sighed and smoothed down his pencil thin mustache. { _"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to fetch you home."_ }

Naveen blanched.{ _"My father sent you?"_ }

{ _"Of course he did. The King and Queen want you back on Maldonian soil where they can keep a better eye on you. If what the rumors say are true, I don't blame them."_ } Kedar raised an eyebrow at Naveen. { _"Is it true that you went and married some American girl?"_ }

Naveen didn't say anything, but Kedar could put the pieces together. The way Tiana was standing near them, confused yet protectively could only mean one things.

{ _"Is this her?"_ } Kedar said, chuckling softly. { _"Not exactly your type, your highness. So when is the baby due?"_ }

{ _"Don't talk about her like that,_ "} Naveen sneered. { _"She is your princess, and you will show her respect."_ }

Kedar just glared at Naveen. { _"Princess. Right. With no official wedding blessed by the King and Queen, and no coronation. Nothing even in the papers! Well, unless you count the gossip columns. Which, I take it, you do."_ }

Naveen's fists clenched. Kedar knew how to get under anyone's skin, and it wasn't often Naveen was on the receiving end of it. Usually Naveen could give it back just as hard, but right now he couldn't think. Kedar's appearance had surprised him too much, which was probably exactly what the captain had been hoping for.

{ _"Let's cut the bull, highness,"_ } Kedar said simply. { _"As I said, I have come to take you home. So let's-"_ }

{ _"I'm not going,"_ } Naveen stated, matter of fact.

Kedar blinked. { _"What was that?"_ }

{ _"I said, I'm not going, and if you think you can make me, then you're greatly mistaken."_ }

Now it was Kedar's turn to glare and clench his fists. { _"You are the one who is mistaken. You may not care about Maldonia, but I do. I have direct orders from King Sunil to bring you home, and I am not going to fail him. You_ _ **will**_ _come back with me."_ }

For a moment, Naveen briefly considered that he should be angry. Not that his father sent someone to fetch him (Naveen was plenty angry about that) but that Kedar thought he didn't care about Maldonia. Naveen did, of course, but he suddenly realized that he didn't care for his country the way he should. The way a prince should.

The simple fact that Kedar could so plainly say what Naveen hadn't even realized he'd been struggling with internally for a long time infuriated him. { _"_   _Are you just naturally stupid or are you making a special effort today?_ "} Naveen said. {" _Because I already told you that I am not coming with you. But maybe you couldn't hear me with your head so far up your own ass."_ }

Perhaps if Naveen had been in his right state of mind he would have known better than to throw out petty insults. Kedar could dish them out with the best of them, but taking insults was another matter completely. The Captain of the Guards was known to have a short fuse, and this, it seemed, pushed him over the edge.

Kedar drew his sword and held it inches away from Naveen's face. To his credit, Naveen didn't flinch. At least he didn't until he heard Tiana cry out in fear. When he turned to her, he saw the panic clear as day on her face, but even beyond that was her desire to act, to do something even though she had no idea what was happening.

Naveen might not have been afraid of Kedar, but that didn't mean he wanted Tiana anywhere near him. "It is alright, Tiana," he said to her before turning back to Kedar. Naveen felt a cocky grin grow. "He's not going to hurt me."

{ _"Like hell I won't,"_ } Kedar sneered. He drew close enough that Naveen could smell the stale cigarettes on his breath. The sword was dangerously close to Naveen's neck. { _"I will break your arm if I have to."_ }

"Ha!" Naveen laughed. { _"Break the arm of the Crown Prince? That sounds like a life sentence if you ask me, and I know my father would."_ }

Realization seemed to be dawning on Kedar, so Naveen continued. { _"I might not be on the best terms with my parents right now, but do you really think they would believe you over me if I showed up with a broken arm and cuts all along my neck?"_ }

Kedar let out such a violent string of curses that, under normal circumstances Naveen would have been impressed. As it was, he just wanted the Captain out of his sight.

But Kedar wasn't finished, it seemed. { _"Fine,"_ } he said, scowling at Naveen, lowering his sword. { _"I may not be able to hurt you, but…"_ } Kedar's gaze moved past Naveen and landed on Tiana's frightened face. { _"I can hurt her."_ }

Naveen felt fear take over him. Instinctively he moved between Tiana and Kedar. { _"Don't you dare hurt her."_ }

{ _"Or what?"_ } Kedar smirked.{ _"You'll cry all the way home to your Baba? That would save me a lot of time and effort to get you home."_ }

{ _"You'll still go to jail._ "} It was all Naveen could think of. He was grasping at straws, saying anything that might keep Tiana safe. Because Naveen knew that if given the chance Kedar would be true to his words.

{ _"There might be a law pertaining to violence against the crown, but there aren't any laws written to protect American nobody's,"_ } Kedar stated coldly. { _"The king gave me leave to do whatever is necessary to get you to come home, and I will exercise that right."_ }

Kedar started to circle Tiana, taking a few fast swipes in the air with his sword. Naveen immediately began to move, keeping Tiana safely behind his back.

"Naveen?" Tiana asked, the fear in her voice plain. She clutched tightly to his shirt.

"It's alright, love," Naveen said, not at all confident in his words. More than anything he wished he could turn around and embrace her, hold her in his arms and kiss her, and then spirit her far away from here.

He turned to Kedar.{ _"She is your princess! The same law applies to her as it does to me."_ }

{ _"She means nothing to me, or to Maldonia._ "} Another quick succession of swipes of his sword. Somehow they were all missing Naveen, but they were getting dangerously close to Tiana.

Kedar swung again, and managed to catch the bottom of Tiana's dress. She shrieked as the fabric tore.

{ _"Stop it, Kedar!"_ } Naveen shouted.

{ _"Say you will come back with me."_ } Another swing. Tiana moved away just in time, but it almost caught her elbow.

{ _"No!"_ } Naveen was clutching Tiana tight, as best he could while she was still behind him. He was desperate to keep himself directly in front of her, but Kedar was too quick.

It wasn't the sword that got Tiana, it was Kedar's firm grip. In one fell swoop, Naveen felt Tiana slip from his grasp. It was the worst thing he had ever felt in his life. The worst thing he had ever seen. Tiana being pulled away from him and into the arms of someone who wanted to do her harm, unable to get away no matter how hard she tried. Kedar was just too strong.

And then he held the sword at her throat. It stopped Tiana cold.

It stopped Naveen too. { _"Kedar please,"_ } Naveen begged, holding out his arms, willing Tiana back into the safety of his embrace. { _"Just let her go."_ }

He tightened his grip, making Tiana cry out. { _"Say you will come back to Maldonia with me."_ }

Tears started to leak down Tiana's face. "Naveen!"

{ _"Yes!"_ } He cried out. { _"Yes, fine! I will go with you! Just please don't hurt her!"_ }

Kedar let go of Tiana, who's knees were shaking too much to hold her upright. Naveen ran to her to catch her before she could fall.

He held her tight while she trembled and covered her in kisses. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered in her hair. "It's alright now. I've got you."

{ _"That wasn't so hard now, was it?"_ } Kedar asked, sheathing his sword.

{ _"You bastard,"_ } Naveen spat.

{ _"Me? Hardly,"_ } Kedar said. { _"But it sounds like you'll be having one in a few months, won't you."_ }

Naveen wanted to punch him right in that smug face. Instead he held Tiana tighter against his chest.

{ _"The ship to Maldonia leaves in three days,_ "} Kedar said. { _"And don't even think about running away again, because I will find you, and there will be consequences."_ }

With that, Kedar turned on his heels and left, but Naveen knew that until he was delivered to his father that Kedar would turn into a shadow, following his every move, tracing every step.

Naveen turned his full attention back to Tiana, who he swept up in his arms and carried her safely inside. And still he held her tight on his lap when he sat on the couch, kissing her softly and whispering comforting words to her.

Eventually she stopped shaking and the hand that clutched him tight loosened. Even so Naveen didn't stop his kisses. It wasn't until she said his name softly that he finally did.

"Yes, my love? Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Tiana licked her lips, but her mouth was so dry that it didn't help. "I'm alright. I… Naveen… what the hell was that all about?"

* * *

Explaining everything to Tiana was one of the most difficult conversations Naveen had ever had in his life. It hurt so much when she wept in his arms and declared that they would never see each other again, knowing there was nothing he could do to comfort her other than offer vague promises that he would come back. He didn't know when, but he would. If he had to bribe someone, if he had to stow away on a ship, or even if he had to swim across the entire ocean he would come back to her. Nothing would keep him from her for long, except, it seemed, for Kedar and his parents.

How could they send such a monster after him? Didn't they know how Kedar acted? It was possible that Kedar hid his true personality from his parents, wasn't it? Naveen found it hard to believe that his parents, no matter how upset they were with him, would knowingly send someone who would threaten to harm his wife. His wife who he only had three days left with.

There was so much that he wanted to do in that time, so much that he needed to say to her. Tiana knew how much he loved her, but he had to make sure that knowledge stuck when he wasn't there to tell her every day. That was why Naveen asked Louis to help him with a secret project, but the likelihood that it would succeed seemed small at best. Louis assured him in that infectiously cheerful way of his that he would get the entire bayou to help, and they would find it before Naveen left.

It wasn't much, but Naveen held onto it. He would need it to survive these next three days. His mind was in a constant whirl of everything he had to do - quit his job, say goodbye to the friends he had made, the life he had started to build here. It was all so heartbreaking. He didn't want to leave any of it.

Each time he had to explain what was happening, it felt worse and worse. He really was leaving. Despite his promises to Tiana, there was a part of him that wondered if he really ever would see this city again, if he would see the wonderful people here, if he would see her.

When he told the LaBouff's the story, Charlotte had burst into tears, crying for her best friend. It gave Naveen a little comfort knowing that Tiana would have the support of her friends and family, unlike Naveen, who would be headed into a country filled with hostility for him.

Kedar gave him a preview of what was to come when he showed up at the LaBouff's guest house that same evening. All the better to keep an eye on the wayward prince, was his excuse. He had to make sure that the prince wasn't getting into any more trouble than he already was, didn't he? It was all accompanied by sneers, rude gestures, and of course Kedar's constant smoking of cheap cigarettes.

Whenever Kedar blew another puff of smoke, with it went any hope Naveen had of spending more intimate time with Tiana. Because for the next few days, even if they couldn't see Kedar, they could smell the cigarettes in the air, effectively turning ruining the mood whenever they were together.

That didn't mean Naveen didn't try though. It seemed that any chance he had, Naveen was kissing her, as if that would make it possible to bottle parts of her up to take with him. He needed it though, to remember her taste, her scent, the way her dimples appeared when she smiled at him. The way she made him laugh, the way she made him feel needed. The way she made him feel.

It took everything in him not to beg Tiana to come along with him. Maybe she thought of it too, though neither of them brought it up. It would be too much to have a small moment of hope only to have it dashed to pieces almost immediately.

First off, the tickets were too expensive. There was no way Tiana would be able to afford one. And then, of course, neither had any idea of how long it would take for them to come back. So Tiana would lose her job, again, which meant that there wouldn't be any money going into her restaurant fund, and Naveen could never ever ask her to stop working towards her dream.

Then too, there would be a gigantic scandal if they appeared on Maldonian shores without a proper chaperone. Naveen knew he was in hot enough water already, and he didn't want to drag Tiana into the mud with him any further than he already had.

And then there was the fact that if she came with him, Kedar would be sure to find out, and Naveen was never going to let him lay a hand on his wife again. As much as it hurt to leave her, it was the only way to guarantee her safety. Above all else, he had to keep her safe.

Three days. He only had three days left with her. And then all too soon it was two days.

"I feel silly, Naveen."

"Well you look beautiful."

"You always say that."

"I can't help that it is always true." She smiled at that, he noticed. "You can always change your mind," Naveen added.

"No, I want to do it," Tiana said. "I guess it's just that I'm just not used to so much attention."

Naveen tsked playfully. "You say that like I haven't been paying attention to you since the moment we met."

Now she flushed. "This is different." Tiana fiddled with her skirt, scrunching the fabric in her fingers and then immediately smoothing it out. "I just feel awkward. I don't know what to do or where to look."

"All you have to do is sit like you are, and you can just look at me."

"But you're behind the camera, and looking at it makes me remember you're taking my picture and then I tense up again."

From behind the camera, set up on a simple tripod, Naveen gave her what he hoped was a sympathetic smile. "I won't force you to do it if you don't want to," he said, though he hoped that she wouldn't change her mind.

This morning Naveen had given Tiana a picture of himself, one of the many he had with him at all times to give to admiring citizens of Maldonia. There hadn't been much use for them here in America, and in truth he felt somewhat silly giving it to Tiana, but he wanted to make sure that she had it before he left. It was then that he asked for a picture of Tiana in return, only for her to confess that she really only had a small number of pictures of herself, and in all of them she was a little girl.

So now with Lottie's borrowed camera, they were set up in Tiana's living room, trying to make everything perfect. Lottie had confessed, sheepishly, that there was only one more photo available on the film, so it was doubly important not to have any errors in the picture. Naveen felt the extra pressure once they realized they wouldn't be able to develop the picture before he left. Tiana was going to have to send him the picture in the mail.

While it was true that if the picture didn't come out right, Tiana could just have someone else take another one, Naveen really wanted it to be him that took the picture.

"I'm sorry," Tiana said. "I'm being ridiculous."

"It's fine, love," Naveen replied. He came around the camera and joined her on the couch, draping an arm around her shoulders. "I want you to be comfortable."

Tiana leaned into him, and sighed. "I still can't believe you're leaving."

He couldn't either. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault."

How many times had they exchanged this exact conversation? Naveen had always believed her when she told him he wasn't to blame for the trouble he had caused her, but not this time. "Yes it is," he said simply.

If he had been a better son and a better prince they wouldn't be in this mess. But if he had been better to begin with, he might never have made it to New Orleans and they might not have met. Naveen didn't like thinking about that, so he kissed her cheek instead. "Can you forgive me for it?"

She turned to face him and gave him a soft smile. "I think I can do that." Tiana walked her fingers up his chest and bopped him on the nose. "Just as long as you come back."

She was much too good for him. Naveen kissed her, long and sweet. "You know I will."

"I know," Tiana said, cupping his cheek. Her eyes were getting misty, and so were his, but now was not the time for another crying session.

He kissed her again, nothing more than a quick peck this time, and forced a grin on his face. "Are you ready then? For the picture?"

Tiana nodded, and Naveen went back behind the camera. He looked through the lense. Everything looked good, but there was no way to be sure until the picture was developed. But the lighting was nice, and the camera was in focus, so his chances for a good picture were high. At least Naveen hoped so.

"Ready, darling?" he asked.

"Ready when you are," Tiana answered, and smiled into the camera.

_Click._

* * *

Two days soon became one, and then the day turned into night. The next morning Naveen would be leaving. By this time tomorrow he would be gone.

Tiana was determined not to cry. She had done enough of that lately. It was going to be difficult though. Whenever she thought about anything, her mind somehow connected it to Naveen. She missed him already, and that made her want to cry, but she couldn't. Not now, not tonight. Naveen was already sensitive enough about all of this without her adding the burden of his knowing how much it was affecting her.

Tonight was their last night together for who knew how long.

Naveen had asked her if there was something special she would like to do. He still had some of his earnings so he could take her out dancing. Or perhaps out to eat? But all she wanted to do was spend some time with him, so they opted for a quiet evening on the porch swing. One of many they had spent there, and Tiana tried not to think of it as their last.

The night was already melancholy. Eudora had said her goodbye's to Naveen earlier. She couldn't say goodbye at docks anymore. Not after James. So they sat, just the two of them, on the last night, drinking one last glass of iced tea, sharing one last kiss.

Tiana knew that they would kiss tomorrow, before he left, but she also knew that she would be too emotional to think straight, to emotional to kiss him the way she wanted to. Tomorrow's kisses would be desperate, but tonight's could be filled with love. She also knew that anyone could walk by and see the two of them necking like teenagers, but Tiana didn't care. She needed to taste him, she needed to feel his lips against hers, she needed to hear his soft gasps and moans. She needed it all, and Tiana wasn't going to let anyone take it away from her. At least for tonight.

Naveen seemed to be in agreement as they kissed each other hungrilly, but at the same time not letting things get too far. This was all they could do tonight, no matter how much they wanted to do more.

The feelings inside Tiana surprised herself. She wanted more. She wanted much more. But it was impossible with Kedar watching Naveen like a hawk. And where would they even go if they had the chance? Her room? With Eudora just one room over? Ha. Mama might be a heavy sleeper, but even she would wake up if they started doing that.

Tiana contented herself with his kisses. She almost laughed, thinking that there had once been a time when she hadn't wanted him or his kisses. His sweet, wonderful kisses. Now she craved them, and by this time tomorrow, she would be trying to live without them.

A whimper escaped her lips at that thought.

"Tiana, are you alright?" Naveen whispered, brushing her cheek with his thumb.

Her lips were trembling now. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry. But her voice cracked when she answered. "No."

Naveen pulled her into a hug, cupped the back of her head while it rested against his chest. "Oh, my love," he whispered. "It will be alright."

Tiana sniffed, brushing away tears hastily. Hopefully he didn't see them. But she didn't move from her spot. It was so nice to be in his arms, to feel the rise and fall of his chest, to hear his heartbeat. He was warm too. Safe and comfortable.

She wrapped her arms around him. "I'm going to miss you so much," she said into his chest. Her tears were making a mess of his shirt, but Tiana figured he wouldn't mind.

"I'm going to miss you, too," he whispered. "I will write to you, though. Every day. And you will write to me, yes?"

Tiana nodded. Of course she would.

He kissed her temple. "It won't be forever. I will be back before you know it."

One month. That's what he had told her earlier. It took a week to get to Maldonia. Then he would quickly explain everything to his parents, who he was sure would understand once he was there in person. And then he would take the next boat to America, which might not sail for a week or two. But then once he was on the ocean it would only be 7 more days before she was back in his arms. This was the quickest scenario back to her, and Tiana clung to it like a lifeline.

It won't be forever, she repeated to herself.

Tiana sniffed again, but this time she sat up. "I have something to give you," she said, smoothing down her curls. "Before you go."

Naveen gave her a soft smile. "I have something for you, too." He reached out and tucked a curl behind her ear. "I am a little nervous about it, though. So, um… you should go first."

Tiana chuckled a little. "Alright," she said, though she was nervous too. "It's not wrapped or anything."

She reached into the pocket of her dress. "It's, um… well, here." This was far from her most eloquent moment. Still, Naveen dutifully held out his hand as she put his gift inside it.

"A pocket watch?" Naveen asked. It gleamed even in the dark. Naveen clicked it open and the second hand ticked steadily around the watchface.

"It was my Daddy's," Tiana explained.

"It's beautiful," said Naveen. Then as her words sunk in he seemed to realize just what he was holding in his hand. "Oh. Oh, Tiana, I can't accept this."

Naveen tried to hand the watch back to her, but Tiana closed his fingers around it. "I want you to have it." She gave his hand a squeeze.

"Mama gave it to me after he died," Tiana explained. "She said I could do whatever I wanted with it. It's a man's watch so I never really wore it, but I wind it every day. Here let me show you."

Carefully, Tiana showed Naveen the simple mechanism for winding the watch. It was easy enough to do, and only took a few seconds, but Tiana would miss the routine of it. Then again, maybe the routine would give Naveen some comfort while he was away.

"Are you sure you want me to have it?" Naveen asked. His thumb brushed over the outside of the watch.

"I do," she said, squeezing his hand again. "I thought it could help you… remember…" Tears were welling in her eyes, but Tiana swallowed hard, fighting it. "Remember the city. Remember me."

Naveen smiled softly. "As if I could ever forget you." He kissed her again, lingering on her lips. "Thank you, Tiana. I will take good care of it."

"I know you will."

He examined the watch again, clicking it open and close. "I know it must be very precious to you."

"It is," Tiana said. "But so are you."

He kissed her again with such passion and ferocity that Tiana was afraid she would start to weep again. But he pulled back, kissing each of her dimples before pulling her into a hug.

"You are precious to me, too, princess," he whispered into her hair. "You know that, right? You know how much I love you?"

Tiana nodded and clung to him. Of course she knew. That's what made all of this so hard.

After a moment Naveen pulled back and reached into his pocket. "Don't laugh, alright?"

Tiana didn't think anything would make her laugh just now, but she promised.

"Hold out your hand, princess."

She did as he asked, and inside her palm, Naveen placed a tiny walnut. It was so random, so strange, so like Naveen that Tiana almost broke her promise and laughed.

Instead she bit the inside of her cheek, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Um.. Thanks?"

"Open it," Naveen prompted.

"I'll have to get a nutcracker from inside." Tiana started to get up, but Naveen held her in place.

"No, you can just…" he mimed pulling the shells apart. "Pop it open."

"Oh." Tiana did, and was surprised to find a pearl? No, it was a bead. A simple white bead. She pulled it out to examine it closer, and found it had some wiring on the bottom that curled in a such a way that it almost looked like a ring. A very very small ring.

Tiana looked at Naveen questioningly. "I'm sorry. I don't… what is this?"

"I made it for you when we were still frogs," Naveen explained. "Do you remember that night on the riverboat?"

"Of course I remember." How could she forget? That was the first time someone had done something romantic for her. Naveen had bumbled and fumbled around trying to impress her. It was the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

"I had planned on giving you this ring that night," Naveen explained. "I was going to propose to you that night. Did you know that?"

Silent tears were streaming down Tiana's face, but she smiled through it all. She had always wondered about that night. Tiana sniffed and wiped away her tears. "Ray told me after." Tiana laughed softly. "He never could keep a secret."

Tiana leaned into him so that her back was resting against his chest. Naveen's arms circled her, holding her tight. From their vantage point, they could see both Ray and Evangeline high in the sky.

Ray would watch over Naveen while he was away, Tiana thought suddenly, and that gave her some small comfort.

"So what happened to this?" Tiana asked, holding the ring carefully in her fingers. "You didn't have it when you proposed for real."

"I lost it in the river when the shadows grabbed me."

Tiana shivered involuntarily at the mention of the shadows, but Naveen's grip on her was strong and the feeling soon passed. "Is this what Louis has been doing these past few days? Looking for this?"

"Yes," Naveen said. "I asked him to look for it, but I never expected he would find it." His hand cupped Tiana's and they held the ring together. "It's so small. Can you believe we were once this tiny too?"

Tiana chuckled at that. "Even after living it, it's hard to believe." Tomorrow she would give Louis an extra helping of breakfast.

Tiana turned to face Naveen, but not enough to move from his embrace, and kissed him. "Thank you."

"I know it's not much," Naveen said. "I wanted to buy you a real ring, but they are, ah… out of my price range so to speak."

"I don't mind," Tiana said. "It's perfect."

"Well, it would be perfect if you could wear it as an actual ring," Naveen pointed out. "Which is why I did buy you this." Once more he reached into his pocket and pulled out a long jewelry box and opened it. Inside was a simple chain.

"I thought you could wear the ring as a necklace," Naveen explained.

Tiana was crying again as she nodded at Naveen's suggestion. This time she didn't wipe away her tears.

Together they put the chain through the ring and Naveen fascened it around Tiana's neck. The ring rested right over her heart. Now it was perfect.

"I love it," Tiana said, leaning back into Naveen's arms once more. "And I love you."

"I love you, too, princess," Naveen replied. He kissed her temple, then her cheek, and then her neck. "I will always love you, no matter how many miles separate us."

Their lips met again in another kiss. It was a long time before either of them spoke again.

* * *

"I guess this is it, isn't it?" Tiana asked over the noise of the docks, and Naveen's heart broke for the hundredth time that day. It wasn't that he had expected their goodbye would be nice, but he hadn't imagined it to be like this.

There were so many people running around the docks, shouting and laughing to one another before they boarded the ship. The crew was calling to each other, making sure everything was ship shape so to speak, before the boat set sail.

It wouldn't be long now, and the pit in Naveen's stomach was getting worse. He'd already seen Kedar take Lawrence, who was to go on trial for treason back in Maldonia, on board. Presumably Kedar was taking every measure that the valet was secure before coming back to escort Naveen to the gangplank.

Naveen tucked a curl that had escaped from Tiana's bun behind her ear, but it was so windy it didn't stay there for long. Just the way it curled around her face was enough to make him break down and weep.

He swallowed hard, fighting it, and offered her a forced smile. "I guess it is." Really? That's all he could say? Where was all of the sonnets and soliloquies he had come up with last night when he was trying to sleep? There was so much that he wanted to tell her, so why was his mind a complete blank?

Well, if his words failed him, Naveen could at least count on his body to do something right. His arms wrapped around Tiana and held her tight. Naveen forced himself to remember everything about this moment - the way her head rested on his shoulder, the sweet smell of her hair, the warmth of her embrace.

His lips started to tremble, and Naveen tried to push those feelings away again. He kissed her temple, softly. "I'm going to miss you, Tiana."

"Me too," Tiana replied, her voice cracking a bit. She seemed to be fighting tears too. "It won't be the same around here without you."

The boat horn bellowed loudly. That sick feeling in Naveen's stomach grew. Kedar was coming their way. Oh god. It was time.

"Here." Naveen's hands were shaking as he fumbled in his coat pocket, but at last he found it. Hurriedly, he put the letter in Tiana's hands. "I… Read this when you need me."

Tears were streaming down her face now, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Then Kedar was there, and he said something to Naveen in Maldonian. Tiana didn't even try to understand their conversation. She was too focused on Naveen, on the sound of his voice and the touch of his skin. Tiana had to believe they would see each other again. She had to. But still, it took everything she had not to beg him to stay.

{" _Kiss your bride goodbye, your highness,_ "} Kedar said.

The last thing Naveen wanted to do was to give Kedar the satisfaction of doing as he was told, but at the same time he couldn't not kiss Tiana goodbye. They were both crying as their lips met in the kiss. Naveen held her firmly, and Tiana clung to him tight as they kissed.

{" _I said kiss her, don't swallow her._ "}

Naveen could have said any number of horrible things to Kedar, but instead he focused all his energy on Tiana. "I love you, Tiana," he said.

"I love you, too, Naveen," she replied, holding onto him as long as she could, but Kedar had taken Naveen's elbow and was now guiding him toward the gangplank. Tiana found herself following numbly, their eyes never leaving each other. It wasn't until Kedar placed his foot directly in front of Naveen's, effectively tripping him that their gaze broke, and that was when Tiana found she couldn't take another step.

She watched, helpless, as Naveen boarded and found a spot at the railing of the ship. He looked so alone, surrounded by other people who were waving and cheering as the ship began to move.

Tiana found herself reaching for him, and Naveen responded in kind, but he was too far, and getting further away. Tears blurred her vision, and when she blinked, Tiana couldn't even make him out anymore as the ship began its perilous trip across the ocean.


	12. Chapter 12

There were many times in Tiana's life that she could easily point to as being foolish. Not changing her work schedule the day that Naveen left was certainly near the top of that list.

The idea had been a simple one: if she was too busy working, she wouldn't spend that time thinking about him. How every minute was taking him further and further away from her. How it would be days before she would even receive a letter from him.

True she did have the letter Naveen handed to her right before he left, but Tiana had it in her mind to save it to read until she was desperate. The letter was safely stowed away in her dress pocket, and Tiana found herself checking every few minutes just to make sure that it was still there. Its simple presence gave her a small comfort.

When her hands weren't in her pockets, they were undoubtedly fiddling with her necklace. Tiana tried to convince herself that this was only because she wasn't used to wearing jewelry, but she knew that wasn't true.

Naveen's gifts were like a gift and a curse to her. Yes they were a reminder of how much he cared about her, but they also reinforced the fact that he was gone, and neither knew when he was coming back. Still, Tiana clung to the hope that it would be a swift return.

"Tiana!"

She blinked and looked up at Buford, her hand still wrapped around her necklace. "Sorry, what was that, Buford?"

"Your head is in the clouds today, Tiana," he said, frowning. "This is the third time I've had to repeat myself."

"I know. Sorry."

Buford sighed. Tiana hadn't told him that Naveen had left just a few hours ago. It wasn't any of his business, first of all. And even if she did tell him, Buford wouldn't have any sympathy for her. He still hadn't forgiven Naveen for kissing her while she was working.

Tears threatened to spill as that memory washed over her. Quickly, Tiana turned, pretending to straighten up dishes and glasses that were all perfectly straight.

"What was it you needed, Buford?" Tiana asked, once she felt under control.

"Table twelve has been sitting there for five minutes and you haven't even taken their drink orders."

"Oh right. I'll take care of it right now," Tiana said, and rushed to the table before Buford could scold her again. She had to stop thinking of him, and focus on her work. That was the whole point of working today, Tiana reminded herself.

After taking table twelve's order, more people came in for the lunch rush. Tiana ran from table to table, from kitchen to dining room, and all the while she just felt empty and numb. She couldn't even smile as she gave people their food, which resulted in rather lackluster tips, and for once Tiana didn't care.

As crazy as it seemed, every time the bell above the door rang, she would turn expecting to see him. Because, really, he couldn't possibly be gone. Naveen would smile at her in that charming way that made her heart swell up, and he say something like "My princess! I couldn't bare to be apart from you, so I convinced the captain to turn the ship around. Here I am to stay." Then he would kiss her and everything would be alright.

Tiana knew it was foolish. She had seen the boat sail away, and as charismatic as Naveen could be, there was no way he could charm the captain off his route.

Still, she looked to the door, and each time it wasn't Naveen her heart broke a little more. 'Stop this, Tiana,' she told herself. 'This is getting ridiculous.' What she needed was to get away from the door. Now that everyone in the dining area had their orders taken, maybe there was something Buford needed help with in the kitchen. Yes that was it. She couldn't possibly think of Naveen when she was busy working with food.

When Tiana asked, Buford gave her the side eye. He had always made it clear that  _he_ was the one in charge of the kitchen. The only thing he had ever let her make was beignets.

Maybe it was the pleading look in Tiana's eyes, or maybe Buford was really strained today. Either way, Tiana was eternally grateful when he sighed and said, "Alright."

This was what she needed. To be away from the door and just focused on her food. "What do you need me to do?" Tiana asked.

"Mince these mushrooms."

Try as she might, Tiana could help but burst into tears.

* * *

Dear Naveen

How are you? I suppose by the time you read this you'll have landed back in Maldonia. How was the trip? Do you get seasick?

Yikes. This….isn't a very good letter is it? I've never really had to write a letter like this before, and I don't know what to say. Lottie and I used to leave each other letters in a hollowed out tree, but she could never wait long enough for me to read what she left. We ended up just tell each other whatever we had written.

The only time I really wrote real letters was when Daddy left to go fight in the war, but I was so young, that I didn't really understand what was going on. I really only remember letters full of misspelled words and horrible drawings of stick figures.

I am a much better speller now, but I'm still at a loss for what to say to offer you the comfort these letters should give. What do you need from me? I should have asked before you left. There are a lot of things I should have asked before you left.

I miss you so much it hurts, and it's only been one day.

I went to work a few hours after you left, and I can hear you scolding me for it. You're telling me that on such an emotional day as today, that I should take it easy, and not exert myself. As strange as it sounds, it brings a sad smile to my face - to hear your voice even if it is lecturing me about my poor decisions.

I wanted to turn off my mind. To try and think of anything else but you being so far away from me, but everything at work reminded me of you. Everything in the entire city reminds me of you. Even now, while I'm writing this I'm reminded of you. I'm in my room and it's evening. I've got the window open and I can hear frogs croaking in the distance.

It's almost enough to make me break down and cry again. I won't though. At least while I'm writing. I don't want the ink to get smudged.

I still can't get it in my head that you're so far away. In about a week you'll be halfway across the world.

I've never even left Louisiana. Did you know that? You probably could have guessed. It's not like we ever had the money or the time to do any traveling.

Still, I always knew the world was a big place, but now it seems impossibly big. After work I took out a map and found Maldonia on it. Looking at how far you'll have to travel, and how far away you are from me…. I never felt so small in my life, even when we were frogs.

Now I'm crying again, so I'd better stop. This letter took a sad turn, and I apologize. It's hard for me to be anything but sad right now. I'll try and do better in my next letter.

I love you, and I miss you.

Come home soon.

All my love,

Tiana

* * *

A few days later, it was a nightmare that woke Tiana. What seemed strange about it, was that it wasn't one of the shadow dreams she had grown used to ever since the Friends had taken the Shadow Man away. It wasn't a nonsense nightmare that she could just shake off after her mind cleared.

No, this one was about Naveen.

In the light of day she couldn't even remember any of the details. Had she been with him in the dream, or was she just some omnipresent being that watched over him? Regardless, there was one thing that she did remember. In the dream there had been an accident on the ship. Something that caused it to leak, and so in her dream she had watched it sink in the ocean, taking all of the passengers with it.

She could still remember hearing the cries for help. Naveen had called her name. That was when she woke up.

Ridiculous as it was, Tiana knew she couldn't rest until she knew for sure that the boat was still on it's way to Maldonia. She didn't care that it was taking Naveen away, just as long as it landed safely.

She thought she had been doing relatively well with the separation these past few days. Yes she was sad and upset, and was crying a lot more than usual, but she hadn't become hysterical. At least, until now.

Tiana clutched her necklace while she paced, waiting to speak to someone at the port authority. She had already combed through the morning newspaper, and though she didn't see anything there, it did little to settle her nerves.

If the ship sank last night as it did in her dreams, the news might not reach the newspapers until tomorrow. Or they might not even report on it if the news had reached them already.

Tiana needed to know now, and the only thing she could think of was that someone at the port authority would have the answer she so desperately needed. They had to know the status of any ship that had left New Orleans, right? If any distress signals had been sent, wouldn't they somehow make their way here?

"Is there something I can help you with, Miss….?"

Tiana turned to find a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair. His warm smile and friendly demeanor would normally put Tiana at ease, but right now it only irritated her.

"Tiana," she said quickly. "My name is Tiana. I need-"

"Well charmed, Miss Tiana," he said, interrupting her. "Leroy Wilkins is my name. Would you like a cup of coffee? Or tea, perhaps?"

She wanted to scream. No, god damn it! There was no time for pleasantries! Tiana squeezed her fist as it clutched her necklace, and forced a smile. "No thank you, Mr. Wilkins. I really just need some information and I'm hoping you can help me."

"Alright, well, I'll see what I can do. What is it you need?"

"A few days ago a ship sailed out of New Orleans. It was going to Maldonia."

A blank look appeared on Mr. Wilkins' face. Apparently even the port authority didn't really know where Maldonia was. "And?"

"I need to know if it's still sailing there. That it hasn't sunk." As soon as she said the words out loud, Tiana felt foolish. What was she doing here? But Naveen's frantic calling of her name as the boat sank in her dream came back to her mind. "Please. Can you tell me?"

Mr. Wilkins raised his eyebrows. "This is… an unusual request."

But was it really? Surely other wives had come asking about ships their husbands had been on. "But can you find out?"

"Mmm, well I suppose so." Mr. Wilkins started to look in his filing cabinets. "We haven't gotten word of any kind of SOS lately." He gave Tiana another kind smile. "I would have remembered that."

She felt a little relief, but not much. The way he was looking through his files indicated that he wasn't finished.

"But that doesn't really mean anything," he continued. "The wireless signal for transmitting distress calls only has a radius of about 500 miles. And the ship sailed when, exactly?"

"Four days ago."

Mr. Wilkins nodded. "I'd say it's a traveled a lot further than 500 miles by now."

Tiana's knees started shaking. "So you can't find out?"

Mr. Wilkins looked a little helpless. "Typically we only get notifications when the ship has docked safely. It's all sent by Morse code. It's very fascinating. I can show you the machine if you like?"

The look on Tiana's face dissuaded him from giving a tour. "That's not what you're looking for though, is it?"

"No," Tiana answered. "It's not."

Mr. Wilkins asked, "Why is it that you need to know the status of this ship?"

Tiana knew she should have come up with a plausible lie to give before coming here. Anything other than having to explain that she had a dream where the boat sank and was now losing her mind with worry. But she had been too preoccupied to think straight.

She struggled for a moment. "There's someone I care for very much on that boat," she explained. "I just wanted to make sure he was alright."

"Ah. Young love, is it?"

Tiana felt heat rush to her cheeks, but nodded.

"I understand," Mr. Wilkins said. "Look, I can try to find out for you, but it will take some time. And I can't make any guarantees, either. It's hard enough keeping track of things in New Orleans, but finding something halfway around the world? Well…" he sighed. "I'll do what I can. Come back in a few hours, and I'll see what I have for you."

"Thank you."

* * *

Dear Naveen,

I have it on good authority that you landed back in Maldonia today. I hope that you were received well there. I know you said that everyone there thinks poorly of you, but I hope this trip gives you the opportunity to show them the Naveen that I know and love. When they see the real you, they'll be sure to change their minds.

I'm sure you've talked with your parents already. Are they angry with you? Are they angry at me? I'm afraid that I've made a poor impression on them, and I haven't even met them yet. Do you think it would help things if I wrote them a letter too? Maybe if they got to know me more, it would make them feel better about our marriage. Tell me what you think would help and I'll do it.

I'm enclosing the picture that you took of me before you left. I'm amazed that it turned out so well! Mama likes the picture too, so of course we had to make some duplicate prints. She's handing them out to practically everyone we know! It's embarrassing but also somewhat flattering. She says she misses you, and so do Louis and Lottie.

That band that Louis played with at Mardi Gras has finally come around, and now they play together in the neighborhood almost every night. I wish you could hear them play, it's really something. They call themselves The Firefly Five Plus Lou, which I think you'll agree is the perfect name for a band. I can't wait to have them play in my restaurant.

I know it's too soon to expect a letter from you, but I'm still checking my mailbox every day. I miss hearing your voice. A letter isn't the same, obviously, but it will help.

I still have the one you gave me before you left. I wanted to save it for when I was really desperate to hear from you. I keep it in my pocket, and not reading it is probably the most self disciplined thing I've ever done in my life. I can hear you now, 'Tiana, I gave it to you so that you would read it!' and I know, I know. But this is who I am, and you of all people should know that by now.

In the meantime I'm just living with memories of the time we spent together, and that helps me feel less alone. I hope the same is happening with you.

I miss you so much. Please write to me soon.

Love,

Tiana

* * *

She should have gotten a letter by now. It had been long enough for Naveen to read her letters and to reply, but where were they? Why hadn't she gotten any yet?

Tiana almost went down to the post office to talk to someone, but this would have been different than her experiences at the port authority. Besides which, she didn't think they would have any answers for her there. All she could do was wait, and hope that each day would bring a letter.

She was developing a new routine. In the mornings before work she would check the mailbox. During her lunch break she would go to the post office to mail her latest letter, and since she was there, ask if they had anything for her. They didn't. She would check again once she was home, before starting a new letter for Naveen. Typically she would check once more before bed, and then in the morning it started all over again.

Eudora was growing frustrated with her, Tiana could tell, but for once, her mother kept her mouth shut. Mama knew what it was like to wait for a letter from a man overseas.

So she waited, and waited. It made her anxious, but more than that, it made her frustrated. If there was only something she could do, then it wouldn't be so hard.

Naveen's original letter still sat unopened in Tiana's pocket, though she was growing more desperate to read it every day. 'One more day,' she would think to herself. 'If I don't hear from him by tomorrow, then I'll read it.' Tomorrow would come with no new letter, and Tiana would convince herself that she could wait one more day.

It wasn't until a week later that Tiana had an idea. If she had all this time to wait, she might as well use it to her benefit. There was so much about Maldonia that she didn't know. If Naveen's parents really were on the fence about her, wouldn't it help their situation if Tiana knew more about the country she would be princess of?

So she went to the library, hoping they would be able to help her. When Tiana opened the door she immediately felt overwhelmed by it all. There were so many books, how could she ever find what she was looking for?

"Can I help you find anything?" the librarian smiled at Tiana.

Well that was convenient. "Um…yes. I'm looking for information about Maldonia."

"Maldonia?" The librarian furrowed her brows in a way that everyone seemed to when Tiana mentioned it.

"It's an island country in South Asia," Tiana added, helpfully.

The librarian perked right up. "Oh! Okay. Are you looking for history? Cultural information? Traveling there, perhaps?"

"Well… maybe," Tiana answered. "I'll just take a look at what you have. Anything will be helpful."

"Alright. Let's check the card catalog and see what we find." The librarian led Tiana over to the card catalog and she opened up the correct subject drawer.

"Malaria…. Malaysia… here we go. Maldonia."

Tiana's heart skipped a beat. They actually found something? "What is it?"

"Hmm. Well, I'm afraid we only have one book on Maldonia," the librarian said. "It's about the history of the country, though it looks like it's out of date by about 15 years."

"That's okay!" Tiana said. "Can I check it out?"

"Of course!" The librarian said with a grin. "But let's make sure we can find it first."

That night Tiana settled in bed to read her new library book. Her heart was pounding as she opened it to the index. Yes she planned to read it cover to cover, to learn as much Maldonian history as she could. But she needed to check something first.

As soon as the librarian mentioned the book was 15 years old, Tiana's mind had started to work. If the book was written 15 years ago, Naveen would have been six years old. Was it possible that this book mentioned the young prince?

Tiana scanned through the N's in the index, her heart thumping so loud she could hardly concentrate. But there. She almost wept.

Naveen, Prince…. 765, 766 [illus.]

Two whole pages! He was mentioned in two whole pages! Well, one was a picture. But a picture! Tiana frantically flipped to the correct page, and now she really did start to cry.

The picture in question was a reproduction of what looked like a family portrait. The quality of the portrait in the book was poor, and it was all in black and white, but there was enough detail for her to recognize her husband as a six year old child. It was the smile that gave him away.

Naveen's parents, King Sunil and Queen Idhal looked so serious sitting in their regal chairs. Their gazes were straightforward and thoughtful. You could tell weight of the crown rested heavily on them both. Though Tiana thought she could sense a hint of a smile on their faces.

But Naveen, oh bless him, he was beaming. Grinning from ear to ear in that way he always did. He looked so happy and carefree, but also full of mischief, like he had stolen a piece of pie from the kitchen, or that he had a frog stuffed in his pocket.

Tiana wiped away her tears, laughing to herself. What would Naveen think if he knew this childhood portrait was in this book? Would he laugh about it, or would he be embarrassed?

She tore herself away from the picture and began to scan the text on the previous page for his name. Tiana found it relatively quickly, but was disappointed to find that it only mentioned his name a few times. Stating simply when he was born and that he was the new prince. The rest of the book appeared to be policies under the King and Queen.

Perhaps this book could be of more advantage to her than she thought. The more she learned about Naveen's parents the better. Tiana would definitely be combing through the text later.

But for right now…. Tiana fetched Naveen's picture where she had it proudly displayed on her dresser, and turned her attention back to the portrait in the book. She would spend the rest of the evening going back and forth between the two pictures, comparing the boy and the man he grew into.

* * *

My Darling,

I love you, Naveen. I worry I haven't said it enough in my letters, and also that I didn't say it enough in person, but I do love you. I love you with every fiber of my being. I wish I could express my feelings for you better, but I've never been that great with words. Not like you, anyway. I know your letters probably contain the most beautiful declarations of love ever written. The thing is though, I still haven't received any letters from you.

It's been a month. You were supposed to be back by now. I even waited at the docks for you just in case, but obviously you weren't there. I won't lie to you, it makes me feel uneasy. None of this seems like you - the you I know and love.

My imagination has started coming up with all sorts of crazy ideas. One minute you're sick on your deathbed, the next your being held prisoner by Kedar, or maybe worst of all, in the arms of another woman.

Tiana put her pen down and rested her head on her hands. Had she really written that? But the words stared back at her plain as day. It made her feel sick inside. How would she felt if she got a letter from Naveen that said he was worried she was seeing someone else?

Heartbroken, that's for sure. And she would feel like he didn't trust her. Like everything they had been through together had been a lie. Of course she would have to have received a letter from Naveen in the first place to feel that way.

Tiana found herself clutching the necklace he had given her as her eyes wandered over to Naveen's picture. Where was he? Why hadn't he written? Was it possible that he really had moved on to someone else? But they loved each other, that couldn't have happened.

Tiana's mind started wandering though, as she imagined his parents who disapproved of Naveen's marriage to her so much that they forced him to get married to someone more suitable. Tiana gritted her teeth. Even if this fantasy were true, Naveen would still write to her to tell her. He wasn't like that. He wouldn't string her along that way.

She felt tears sting her eyes as her heart broke a little, and Tiana let out a quick sigh. She was just so tired. Tired of waiting, tired of hoping, and tired of being sad. Her hand clenched the necklace tighter as anger washed over her.

She hadn't planned for any of this. Ever. She'd never planned to want someone so much, or to wish that her future entwined with his, or to wish to see his face every day for the rest of her life.

She'd planned to be happy, yes. To have her restaurant and follow her dreams. Getting married and falling in love had never entered into any of her plans. Of course now when she had done both of those things, it had to be to the one man in the entire world who had to be dragged across the ocean and couldn't even bother returning her letters to her!

Harder than she meant to, Tiana flattened Naveen's picture on her desk. She didn't want to look at that stupidly beautiful smile right now. How dare he! Yes, how dare he not return her letters. Didn't he know how upset she was by all of this? Didn't he know how much she missed him? Didn't he know how helpless she felt with an entire ocean between them? Didn't he know that she would do anything if they could be together again? And he hadn't even bothered to do the most effortless thing, which was to write to her. To let her know even the simplest thing, like that he had arrived safely, or that he still loved her! And all the while she had sat and wrung her hands and fretted every single day he had been gone. Writing to him every day like they had promised they would, and a month later, when he had said he would be back, he wasn't, and she hadn't heard anything.

Tiana hadn't even realized she was still clutching her necklace tight in her grip. The angrier she got, the more twisted the chain became, until it was too much for the thin chain. With a soft snap the chain broke apart.

Tiana gasped and stared helplessly at the two dangling ends.

"Oh no. Oh please, no no no." But no amount of pleading would fuse the two ends together again.

Her lips started to tremble and soon fat heavy tears were streaming down her face. Tiana gasped for air as she sobbed and when she couldn't take it anymore, she buried her face in her arms and let it all out.

Tiana tried not to think of it symbolically as she cried, but it was hard not to. Naveen had given her that necklace as a symbol of his love for her, and Tiana had broken it when she began to doubt. Maybe he really didn't love her anymore. This only made Tiana cry harder.

"Babycakes, what's wrong?" Tiana felt the warm comforting hand of her mother gently rub up and down her back.

She took a few more gulping breaths of air as she tried to control her sobs. Unable to form words, Tiana simply held out her hand and showed Eudora the broken necklace.

"Oh Tiana. That can be fixed." Her tone was so caring that Tiana almost broke down again. She sniffed and wondered how she could even begin to explain what this all meant about her and Naveen.

But before Tiana could speak, Eudora kissed her on the temple whispering that she would be right back. A few minutes later, Eudora handed Tiana a hot cup of tea and began working on the necklace with a pair of needle nosed pliers.

Tiana watched silently, sniffing occasionally while the warmth of the tea and the comforting presence of her mother brought her back to her old self. Tiana felt all kinds of foolish crying over a broken necklace she could have easily fixed herself. Besides which, none of that meant that Naveen didn't care for her.

"There." Eudora lifted the newly reformed necklace and helped Tiana fix it back on. "Good as new."

"Thanks, Mama," Tiana managed to squeak out. She leaned into her mother's embrace, as once more Eudora rubbed Tiana's back.

"I miss him, Mama," Tiana whispered

"I know, sweetheart." Eudora pressed another kiss to Tiana's temple. "I miss him too. It certainly is dull around here with him gone."

Tiana gave a half smile at her mother's words. Dull was putting it mildly. Ever since Naveen had left, it seemed that all Tiana could feel was this gaping sadness all around her. She'd gotten so accustomed to having him around. Naveen had been a part of her routine, and had become such an important part of her life that his absence sparked an unrest deep inside her being.

"What if he never comes back?" Tiana asked, tentatively, but if anyone could understand what she was going through it was her mother.

Eudora tsked. "Of course he will." Tiana's heart instantly felt lighter. "The way he looked at you?" Eudora continued. "That boy is in l-o-v-e love."

Tiana felt heat rush to her cheeks and hid it in her cup of tea.

"Honestly, Tiana, I don't think I've ever seen anyone as much in love as that prince of yours. Besides which," Eudora nudged Tiana's elbow playfully, "you're quite a catch."

"Mama!" Now Tiana was full out laughing. It seemed like it had been ages since she last laughed. It felt good.

"He'll come back. It just might take more time than you thought." Eudora placed a soft hand on Tiana's cheek. "I think things are… more complicated that we realize."

Tiana sighed but gave her mother a small smile. "I think you're right." She didn't even know the first thing about what it took to marry into royalty. Despite what the storybooks said, and what Naveen had told her, there must be a lot of hoops to jump through to get to where they wanted to be.

It was late, and so with another kiss to the temple, Eudora wished Tiana a goodnight. Tiana was feeling much better than she had in ages, and was left alone with her letter, Tiana stared at the words she had written, holding her necklace again, gently this time.

She couldn't send this letter, she knew, and so she tore it up. She would write a new letter tomorrow. A much better letter.

With a sigh, Tiana got herself ready for bed. As she tucked herself in, Tiana couldn't escape the nagging feeling inside her. Her eyes glanced towards her dresser where James' picture smiled back at her, and now Naveen's alongside it. Naveen's own letter he had given her was there, safely tucked underneath his picture.

Read it when you need me, he had said. Well, she needed him now.

Tiana threw back the covers and picked up the letter in her hands. They were trembling slightly, she noticed as she walked back to bed. Before she could change her mind, Tiana broke the seal of the envelope and began to read.

A true smile appeared on her face, and Tiana felt love for Naveen wash over her. Why hadn't she read this sooner? She really was a fool. Laughing slightly, Tiana pressed the letter to her heart when she was finished reading. It wasn't a long letter, but it was perfect.

Tiana let out a happy sigh and turned off the light, but it was a long time before she was able to fall asleep. Even when she finally drifted off, Tiana still had that smile on her face.

* * *

To My Beloved,

Though I must leave you tomorrow, my thoughts go out to you, and when such wide abysses of space and land are between us, know that my love will go out to you as well. Even though we will be miles apart, that distance cannot separate our hearts which will always beat together as one. I hate to spend my days without you, that I won't be able to feel your warm touch, or see your happy smile. Without you, I only feel like half a man. I won't be complete until I am putting my arms around you once more, because only then do I feel at home.

Stay strong, my love and know that I am fighting to get back to you.

I love you, Tiana. With all my heart.

Yours forever,

Naveen

* * *

Tiana still checked the mailbox, but not as obsessively as before. Naveen's letter would come, Tiana was sure of that now, even if it took weeks longer than it should have. Though that ache in her heart never really went away, Tiana started to laugh and smile again when she spent time with Lottie and Louis. Work became enjoyable again, and not just a distraction to her.

She was becoming her old self again, Tiana realized, as she walked back home after a long shift. Well, not completely her old self. She was absentmindedly humming the new song that was buzzing around town, and every so often as she walked, Tiana found herself dancing to the beat. She had bough the music score for the song and was going to send it to Naveen in her next letter.

Tiana smiled to herself, taking another spin, as she imagined them dancing to the song at The Paradise Club, or even just in her living room. It was a great song to dance to, and Naveen was sure to come up with some innovative dance moves like he always did.

"Are you Tiana Batiste?"

Tiana blinked to find a young man on a bicycle in front of her house. She blushed a little at having been caught dancing by herself, but she pressed on. "Yes. How can I help you?"

"I've got a telegram for you."

Telegram? Tiana's stomach dropped even at the mention of the word. Telegrams always brought back the memory of finding out about James' death. Even before Mama had opened that fateful telegram, they both had known it wasn't good news. Nobody ever received a happy telegram during war times.

There was no war going on, Tiana reminded herself, as she numbly signed for it. The young man peddled away and Tiana sank to the porch steps, her legs unable to carry her weight any longer.

She stared at the envelope for what seemed like a long time. She could only think of one reason someone would send her a telegram. It obviously had something to do with Naveen.

He could be hurt, or even dead. This could be some sort of summons for her from his parents telling her to stop writing him. It could be… well it could be anything. There was only one way to find out.

Carefully Tiana opened the telegram and began to read.

TIANA

OUR LETTERS WERE KEPT FROM EACH OTHER STOP ALL WILL BE EXPLAINED STOP EXPECT MY LETTERS SOON STOP I SHOULD HAVE FIGURED IT OUT SOONER STOP PLEASE FORGIVE ME STOP I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU

NAVEEN

Tiana was laughing and crying at the same time. What the hell was he talking about? She didn't understand at all but who cared! He loved her! His letters were coming soon!

A week later Tiana arrived home to find two giant bags full of letters had been delivered to her. They were all from Naveen.

Giddy at the prospect of reading so many letters, Tiana had to stop herself from tearing open the first one she found. Instead, Tiana brought them all up to her room and began to organize them by the postmarked date. There were so many it took her awhile to get them organized chronologically, and was surprised to see so many letters dated from this past month. She could have been getting his letters this whole time? What had happened?

The answer would be in here somewhere, Tiana thought. And then, finally, when they were all in order, Tiana couldn't wait any longer. She opened the first envelope and began to read.


	13. Chapter 13

My Love, My Only, My Tiana,

I can honestly say that I have never felt more miserable in my life. I will be the first to admit that I have lived a pampered life, and so do not have much to compare it to. Still, I doubt that you will hold my feelings against me, especially now. I imagine you must feel the same way, and that in turn makes the pain inside grow stronger.

I hate that I have brought this suffering to you. I promise that I will fix this mess as quickly as I can so then we can be together once more.

I'm watching America disappear as I write this. In a few hours there will be nothing but water to look at for six more days. I wish… there are so many things I wish right now. I wish I could be with you. I wish I didn't have to leave. I wish I could even just speak with you for a moment. It's only been a few hours but I miss the sound of your voice already.

I don't know if I ever told you but I have always loved the way you speak. Even on the night we first met when I was a frog and you asked me if I wanted a kiss in that smooth sly way of yours… it was so sexy. I was already attracted to you when I saw you standing on the balcony wearing that blue dress and bathed in moonlight. But then when you spoke to me and I heard your charming American accent… well, can you blame me for wanting to kiss you?

They made the announcement that it's time for lunch, but I'm not hungry. Food makes me think of you, and I don't really want to start weeping in front of the other passengers while trying to eat whatever it is they are serving. The Captain of the ship has invited me to sit at his table, and while part of me feels guilty at ignoring his request, Kedar was also invited to dine there. I will surely be tempted to stick a fork right in that big forehead of his.

I think I will take all my meals in my cabin.

The wind is picking up and it's getting harder to keep the page flat to write on, but I'm not leaving this spot as long as I can still see some part of America. Hopefully you don't mind a few wrinkles on the paper.

It is so frustrating to me that I have to wait until landing in Maldonia to send this letter back to you. If there was a way to send you a message right now you would receive it by the end of the day. Then again, all of this is frustrating.

I'm so sorry, my love. I wanted this letter to give you hope and comfort, and all I seem to be doing is moping and complaining. I don't know what to write that will make you feel better, other than I miss you and that I will do everything I can to return to you soon.

I think I see Kedar snooping about. America has passed over the horizon, so I will retire to my cabin for the evening. I might even write you another letter if my mood becomes less sour. Even though we are apart, writing to you makes me feel close to you once again.

I am sending you all my love,

Naveen

* * *

Naveen was surprised to find his parents waiting for him when he finally arrived at the castle. When he was met at the docks with nothing special, Naveen assumed they hadn't cared to announce his arrival to anyone. He assumed he would be met with the same disregard upon arriving home. Yet here they were, practically beaming at him as he stepped down from the carriage.

In any other circumstance this would have pleased Naveen to no end. How many times had he wanted nothing more than his parents love and attention? And now that he seemed to have it, Naveen wanted nothing to do with them.

"Welcome home, son," Idhal said, hugging Naveen tight and kissing his cheeks.

"Nice to have you back, Naveen," Sunil added smiling, coming in for a hug himself.

Naveen offered half hearted hugs back, but said nothing.

"Good work, Kedar," Sunil said to the guard captain. "We couldn't have managed this without you."

Kedar practically beamed at the compliment and Naveen thought he might be sick. "Thank you, Your Majesty," Kedar replied, taking a bow. "It's always a pleasure to serve you, my king."

Naveen couldn't believe what he was seeing. How could his father put such trust in this… monster? Couldn't he see it? Naveen clenched his fists and fought the urge to shout, difficult as it was.

"Is something wrong, Naveen?" Idhal asked. "You haven't said a word. Are you not feeling well?" She pressed a cool hand to his forehead and then continued on, not waiting for an answer from him. "I'll have the servants make you a cup of tea."

He didn't want any tea, damn it, and even if he did he wouldn't want it the way the servants made it. Naveen would want it iced and sweet, like how Tiana had taught him to make it. Oh Tiana. His heart longed for her. He was in such pain and all his parents were thinking about was tea!

"I don't want any tea," Naveen said. "I want to go back to New Orleans."

"Don't start this, Naveen," Idhal said.

"I didn't start it, you did when you took me away from everything I care about!"

"Naveen, don't talk to your mother that way," Sunil said, brows furrowed.

Once more Naveen's fists clenched tight. Kedar was standing behind his father, smirking, obviously delighted by the scene unfolding before him. He wanted to punch him in the mouth.

Before Naveen could do something he really was going to regret, Idhal piped in. "I think we need to have a talk."

* * *

"Sit down, Naveen." Sunil gestured to the chair in his office. This damn chair, this damn room, this damn everything.

The last time Naveen had been in this room was when he had been cut off. He was a much different man now, so how was it that he still felt that same sinking feeling in his stomach he always had when he crossed the threshold?

His hand went into his pocket where the watch Tiana had given him ticked steadily onward. If he concentrated closely enough on it, Naveen could even feel the pulsing of the second hand as it wound its way around the clock face.

Naveen stayed standing.

Idhal raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything while she waited for the servant to finish setting up the tea things. The servant, Paadini, had been working for them for so long she didn't even need to ask how the Queen liked her tea. Cardamom and cinnamon scented the room as Paadini poured the tea (could his mother not even pour her own cup of tea?), and then bowed respectfully before leaving the room, the door closing with a soft but firm click.

Sunil was still waiting for Naveen to sit down. Naveen only stared at him.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Sunil massaged the bridge of his nose. "So you have nothing to say for yourself?"

"I've already explained-"

"No," Sunil cut him off. "What you did was disappear for seven weeks and not even offer us one word on where you were."

"We were so worried about you," Idhal said. "We had half the national guard out looking for you. Why didn't you at least write to us?"

Naveen felt that pit in his stomach grow. He had always thought his parents would have been somewhat relieved that he was gone after all the trouble he had caused them. "I couldn't write because-"

"Because you had been turned into a frog," Sunil deadpanned.

"Yes."

"You're still sticking with that story?" Idhal asked, her hands cupped around her tea.

"It's not a story," Naveen said. "It's what really happened."

Sunil raised an eyebrow. He cupped Naveen's head and looked deep into his son's eyes. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

"My head is fine," Naveen said, pulling back. "I'm telling you the truth. Look!" He held out his hand and showed his parents the scar on his palm. Though it had been some time since he had received the cut, it still looked fresh.

"Oh my baby!" Idhal cried out and took his hand in hers. She kissed his palm.

Sunil looked on in concern, examining Naveen's hand as well as he could while Idhal pressed kisses to it. " _Faldi faldonza_ , Naveen. Does it hurt you?"

"No," Naveen lied. It did sometimes, like a spark traveling down deep into his bones. But he was angry that his parents were paying this much attention to him now, when he would have adored every second of this as a boy. All he had ever wanted growin up was for them to notice him. Now it was too little too late.

"We'll call Dr. Sachdev," Idhal stated.

"I've already seen someone about it," Naveen pipped in. No need to bring up Mama Odie to his parents. If they were having a hard time with the frog part of the story, there was no way they would believe that a 200 year old blind woman who lived in the bayou had helped him.

"An American doctor," Sunil snickered. "What do they know…." He rang a bell, and Paadini poked her head back in.

"Your Majesty?"

"Fetch Dr. Sachdev, please," Sunil said.

"There is no need," Naveen said, but Paadini had already bowed and taken her leave. Naveen glared at his parents. "Baba, I told you I saw someone already. Besides, Dr. Sachdev won't help. This is… It's magic that caused it. It's-"

"Naveen, please. Stop with these lies," Idhal said. "I, for one, have had enough of them."

"You are a grown man," Sunil added. "It's time you stopped living in a fantasy world."

"It's not a fantasy, it's the truth," Naveen said, his hand went to his pocket where his thumb brushed over the watch. "You can write to Tiana. She will tell you."

Even just the simple act of saying her name made him feel slightly better, but it went away as soon as he saw the glares his parents were giving him.

"Yes…Tiana…" Sunil said. His fingers tapped rapidly on his desk. A habit Naveen knew he only did when he was furious. "This is your… the woman you married?"

"Yes."

The king and queen shared a look. Idhal sighed. "How could you do this to us, Naveen?"

Naveen's stomach dropped. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. "Do what? You have always wanted me to settle down and get married, and now that I have, you're angry with me?"

"Getting married was supposed to make you more responsible," Sunil stated.

"But I am-!"

"This," Idhal spread her arms out wide, "is not acting responsibly."

"You don't understand."

"Then tell us, Naveen," Idhal said, her frustration growing.. "Tell us how disappearing for nearly two months is the responsible thing to do. Tell us how marrying some American nobody who just wants your money - that we have not giving back to you, by the way - is the responsible thing to do!"

"She doesn't want any money from me," Naveen said. His voice was rising higher as they argued.

"Of course she does," Sunil said, dismissively.

Naveen felt like he had been dealt a firm blow. How could his father say that? Of course she wants your money. Why else would anyone want to marry you? Sunil hadn't said it, but he may as well have. Tears stung Naveen's eyes, and he blinked them back, furiously. "Tiana doesn't care about any of that. She loves me for me. You'd know that if you talked to her for just five minutes."

"Well, that's not going to happen," Idhal said, contemptuously.

It was said in such a simple tone that Naveen almost didn't register it. Now he was afraid to even breathe, but he still managed to say, "What?"

"For once, luck is on our side," Sunil stated. "Since this marriage isn't technically legal, it will make the divorce much easier to file."

Divorce? The room started to spin, and Naveen's knees buckled. He flopped down into the chair, unable to stand anymore. No, no no no. This couldn't be happening. Naveen clutched his stomach. He really was going to be sick.

"Do we even have to file a divorce for this though?" Idhal asked.

"I'm not sure," Sunil said. "That's why I sent for our lawyer. He was on holiday in France, but he'll be here in a few days to take care of this."

"No!" Naveen cried out. His parents turned to look at him, finally. It was like they had forgotten he was even there. "I don't want a divorce!"

Sunil sighed. "Naveen, you know this marriage isn't… ideal."

"Why?"

"You have to think about this politically, darling," Idhal said. She knelt by Naveen's side and stroked his hair away from his forehead. "There are much better matches out there for you, and for Maldonia."

"Tiana is the only one for me!"

"You are fixated with this Tiana," Sunil said. "Fine. I won't pretend to understand. But you and I know that you have a horrible record when it comes to women. You always lose interest after a few days."

Naveen started to interject but Sunil held up his palm and continued. "True this Tiana seems to be the longest streak yet, but be honest with yourself, Naveen - you'll forget about her when you aren't seeing her every day. You always did with the other girls. To be honest, it would be much easier if you did forget her. We want to do what's best for you, Naveen, and for Tiana, and most importantly for Maldonia." He sighed and combed his mustache with his fingers. " We need to make sure this all stays quiet while it all gets sorted out. The fire was bad enough, but if word of this got out…. we'll never be able to find you a suitable match."

Naveen couldn't stand it anymore. "I don't want anyone else!" he shouted, standing from his seat.

"Naveen-"

"No! You're not listening to me. You never listen to me! Tiana and I love each other, and there will never be anyone else for me."

"Naveen, I know-" Idhal tried to say, but Naveen cut her off.

"No, you don't know. You don't know anything about me, and you don't know anything about Tiana, so stop acting like you know what's best for us!"

Sunil stepped out from behind his desk. Though his father was only a few inches taller than Naveen, he felt like the king was towering over him. "Stop this right now, Naveen," Sunil said in that booming voice of his. "I am your father, but I am also your king, and you will do as I say."

Against his better instincts, Naveen still tried to argue. "But-"

"But nothing," Sunil said. "This discussion is over." As if to emphasize this, Sunil went back behind his desk and started to sort through his papers.

Naveen was breathing heavily. When had that started? He looked pleadingly towards Idhal, but she only shook her head. Now his tears really were threatening to spill. Naveen stormed from the room and slammed the door on the way out. In his fit of rage, he didn't even register that Kedar had been standing outside the door.

* * *

To my Darling Wife,

If you saw me today, I don't think you would be proud of me. I know I am ashamed of myself. There is something about being here that seems to bring out the worst in me, and it doesn't help that my parents don't believe a word I say.

The first thing they did when I arrived home was to scold me like a child, which in turn only made me act like one. I shouted my arguments which only seemed to solidify my parents ideas about everything that has happened.

Please don't worry though. I know once I talk to them in a calmer manner they will see the error of their ways. I will not give up on you, and on us. The thought of you is the only thing holding me together.

I wish you were here. I know it's not possible but I still like to imagine that, at night, instead of resting my head on a pillow, it's your chest, and you are holding me and stroking my hair. I really like it when you do that. Your touch is always so soft and warm - I miss it so much. I miss you so much.

I will hurry, my princess, with everything that needs to be done here. Nothing else can be done tonight, though, so I think instead I will hold the pillow to my chest and pretend it is you. When I close my eyes I can almost feel like you are here.

Stay strong, my love.

Thinking of you, always,

Naveen

* * *

Now that I am away from you,

this distance between us

such a burdensome thing,

I find I think of you in colors,

the smell of coffee as you

teach me to brew a pot,

the perfect sunlight spilling

in through the window.

I miss the way you

feel beside me.

I dream of your body

that you are sleeping in my arms.

there are so many way to say I love you

and still there are never enough.

I suppose we'll have to invent

new ones.

* * *

To my heart,

What I am learning here, is that nothing is as easy as I think it will be. Perhaps you already knew this. Actually I am sure you did - you're the smartest person I have ever met. I can imagine you reading about all of my failed attempts with an exasperated sigh, and though it pains me to disappoint you, what I wouldn't give to hear you sigh at me once more.

My parents are the most stubborn people, I believe, in the world. Even more than you! (A joke, darling. You know I love your stubbornness.) With them though, I have never felt so frustrated in my entire life. Nothing I say can convince them that I am a changed man. And perhaps the worst of it is that they do not even attempt to listen to me when I make my points.

All they do is steamroll everything.

They sent a doctor to see my hand, even after I told them it would amount to nothing. Lo and behold, Dr. Sachdev said there was nothing he could do for it. My mother was shocked, but there is at least some comfort in that she didn't believe Dr. Sachdev either. She has sent for another doctor to get a second opinion.

It is all so aggravating, these people they are fetching here. They even sent for a lawyer against my wishes to discuss a divorce. Divorce! Can you imagine? I only mention it now because nothing came of it, and I didn't want you to worry. The lawyer simply stated that with no proper ceremony and no marriage license, nothing needs to be done legally. It tore me up inside to hear that, and I am fighting all the harder to return to you.

In the meantime I am trying to wait patiently for your letters. I have it all counted out on my calendar when to expect them from you. Perhaps I counted wrong, as I should have already received them a few days ago. Nevertheless, I know that as soon as I see your letters, and hopefully your picture, that my heart will fill once more.

Missing you terribly,

Naveen

* * *

My Darling,

It seems like the only person who is happy that I am back is my brother, Ravi. He clings to me so much, which is in part sweet but it also gets on my nerves sometimes. If I weren't in such a sour mood I would relish this time he wants to spend with me. I am ashamed to admit that I don't know him very well, but that also means that he doesn't know me very well. Perhaps that is one of the reasons he looks up to me so much. Surely he wouldn't if he knew me better.

I apologize, princess. I don't mean to be so melancholy in my letters to you. I brought up Ravi so you wouldn't think I was spending all my time moping around here… only most of the time. He wants me to teach him ukulele, which normally I would be delighted to do, if only to annoy my father who hates the ukulele and especially hates jazz, which I cannot even attempt to understand! It is the same argument I give over and over: if he would actually sit down and LISTEN, he would change his mind. But as always, his mind is already made up even before he even gives something a chance.

I told Ravi that I would teach him when he is older, though he is a very smart boy, and could probably learn faster than I did. Still, I can't hardly even bare to take out my ukulele to play for myself. It only reminds me of New Orleans and all that I left behind there. Here I am being melancholy again.

I know I will bounce back as soon as I read one of your letters. For some reason I am still waiting for them.

Please write to me

Naveen

* * *

Naveen hated that whenever he had to go anywhere in the castle, he had to walk past the ballroom. Whoever had designed the palace (and his parents would hate the fact that he didn't know) had decided that, yes, it's a great idea to have the ballroom be the central of everything.

At least the door had been closed, and it was now roped off. But when Naveen passed by, he could see scorch marks on the wood, and if he came close enough he could still smell the lingering scent of smoke.

He didn't even want to know what it looked like inside. So Naveen usually hurried past the room, completely aware that, if he was noticing the damaged room, everyone else in the castle also did. It filled him with shame. Why hadn't his parents fixed it yet? Was this just another way that they wanted to torture him? Well, Naveen hated to admit it, but it was working.

This morning, Naveen hurried past the ballroom, looking once more for his parents. He hoped the early hour would have them in a good mood, and open to listening to his arguments. But they weren't in the morning room where they usually took breakfast. True that it was well past morning - without a job and a reliable schedule, Naveen had taken to his old habits of sleeping late, so they had obviously moved on to the next part of their day.

Perhaps they were on the terrace, Naveen thought. Sometimes they liked to look over the gardens before spending the rest of the day in meetings or other important duties. It was as likely as anything else, so Naveen decided to try. When he stepped outside, he was all at once surprised and not at all shocked by who he found waiting there.

He should have known. "Ria," Naveen said, flatly. "What are you doing here?"

Ria turned and smiled at him. "Hello, Prince Naveen."

The way she turned towards him, the way she looked at him, the way she said his name… a few months ago it would have made him want to tease her, flirt with her, play the push and pull game they always did with each other. Now though… now he felt nothing for her.

"You didn't answer my question," Naveen said.

"Not even a hello for me?" Ria tsked and took a few steps towards him. "I expected better from you." She was toying with him. Or trying to.

Naveen took a step back, but Ria closed the distance between them. "Aren't you happy to see me?" she asked, snaking her arms around his neck.

Carefully, Naveen moved out of her embrace. "I think you should leave."

"Leave?" Ria playfully pouted, giving him those big puppy dog eyes that were irresistible to almost every man in the world. Almost. "But I rushed over here as soon as I heard you were back. I thought we could… you know. Pick up where we left off before you left."

She said it so casually, like the last time they had been together hadn't been when he had almost burned down the entire castle and everyone in it. And then he had been cut off and everything had changed. Even if he hadn't fallen in love with Tiana, the memory of Ria basically ignoring his pleas for help when he thought he had lost everything still stung.

Naveen laughed unintentionally bitter. "You must be crazy."

"Well you don't have to put it like that," Ria pouted again, all sweet and charming. "You're back, so everything is back to normal. Or it would be if you would just kiss me."

"Kiss you?!" Naveen jumped back. "That is.. No that is not happening."

"Why not?" she asked, hands firmly on her hips. She cocked her head to one side and looked questioningly at Naveen. "You're not acting like yourself, you know. Everything is back to normal. I mean, you're here so I assume that little punishment you had is over. Isn't it?"

Naveen frowned, feeling his patience ebb away. "No, it isn't."

Ria blinked a few times, staring at him. "Oh. Oh, I see." Absentmindedly she twirled some of her hair around her finger. "Then you don't have….hmm"

Naveen couldn't believe he hadn't seen it sooner. She wasn't here for him, she never had been. She'd only been interested in his money. How could he have been so stupid! Blinded by her charm and beauty, Naveen had almost fallen for it too.

He'd had enough of this. "It really is time for you to leave, Ria," Naveen said.

"But I came to see how you were doing," Ria countered. "We haven't even talked, much less anything else." That gleam in her eyes made Naveen sick. "Besides, maybe I can help you get your inheritance back. Then things would really go back to normal, hmm? Wouldn't you like that?"

"No." The answer came quick, but it was the truth. Naveen's hand went to the watch in his pocket. "Things are different now, Ria. More than you'll ever know. I neither need, nor do I want you help. Now, I'm asking you again to please leave."

"You can't be serious," Ria said. "Think of what we had together, what we could have again if you just got your inheritance back."

"Get out, Ria, before I have you escorted out."

"Excuse me?"

"And when you go," Naveen said, ignoring her outburst, "don't come back. I never want to see you again. Ever."

* * *

T

If I were with you now, I would kiss you. I would hold your hand and look at you with wonder. And then, if you would let me, I would kiss you again.

And again.

And again.

N

* * *

It was dinner time, but as usual, Naveen wasn't hungry. Ever since leaving New Orleans, he seemed to have lost his appetite. Food just reminded him too much of Tiana. But it was a good opportunity to talk some more with his parents, so Naveen grinned and bared it as best he could, night after night.

At least out in the open, he didn't have to worry about loud arguments - his parents would never fight like that in front of the servants.

Naveen straightened his tie, and sat down in his usual seat at the table, but the place-setting was different. There was another seat arranged next to his. "What's all this?" Naveen asked. Was Ravi going to eat with them? Usually he ate in the nursery earlier. He was probably in bed by now, though.

"Well," Idhal said, taking her seat as the servant pulled out her chair for her. "We were thinking of hiring a new chef."

"You know how it is," Sunil added, leaning back slightly so a different servant could place the napkin on his lap. "The chef has been working here for so long, we wanted a change."

 _'But you hate when things change,'_ was all Naveen could think. He buttoned his lip though, not wanting to start something. "So why the extra plate?"

Idhal and Sunil exchanged a glance, before Naveen's mother said, "We decided to call in an expert."

"Announcing Lady Lajni, Duchess of Corvale," one of the servants declared, and in walked a young woman in her early twenties with dark olive skin and brown hair elegantly pinned in place.

"I apologize for my lateness," Lajni said, bowing before the royal family. "There was some trouble with my carriage."

"No trouble at all, my dear," Idhal said. "We were just getting started."

"Nothing too serious, I hope?" Sunil added. "We can have our stagehands take a look at the carriage for you."

"Oh that would be lovely, thank you," Lajni said with a smile.

"Naveen," Idhal said, "you remember Lajni, don't you? You met once when you were children. Before the war."

Naveen put on a grin. "Yes of course," he lied effortlessly. But in truth he couldn't remember her at all, and tried to comb through his memories. If it was before the war, he would have been young, but not too young that he wouldn't have tried kissing her if she had been willing. Naveen really hoped she hadn't been. "It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has," Lajni said. The servants had appeared again, pulling out the chair next to Naveen so she could sit down, and then placing her napkin on her lap once she had. "The King and Queen invited me here to try out the offerings from this new chef."

"Oh?" Naveen asked, unfolding his own napkin and smoothing it down himself.

"Lajni has become quite knowledgeable about all things food," Idhal clarified.

Naveen's hand froze in place. "Is that so?"

Lajni flushed a little. "It is a bit of a hobby."

"Hobby nothing," Sunil beamed. "You have one of the largest collections of wine I've ever seen."

"My grandfather started collecting it," Lajni explained. "I've just continued with his legacy."

"Well, it's very impressive," Idhal said. "You should really see it, Naveen."

"I'd be happy to give you a tour, sometime," Lajni said, another blush appearing on her cheeks.

Naveen didn't notice as he grinned halfheartedly once more and said he would be happy to visit, though inwardly he was wondering why having so much wine made you an expert on food. True food and wine were always paired together, and they did say that the right pairing helped bring out the flavors of the food.

His thoughts drifted, as they so often did, to Tiana, who didn't need wine to help her food shine in the way it did, and she couldn't anyway with the prohibition on alcohol making it illegal in America.

Naveen sighed and smoothed down the tablecloth. He missed cooking with her. Creating food together was so intimate. The fact that she trusted him to help her create such wonderful dishes… it was nice to be able to help and feel useful.

The first course was served. A soup that smelled delicious and made his stomach growl. Naveen cursed inwardly. It felt like a betrayal to Tiana, but he did need to eat.

"What do you think, Lajni?" Idhal asked, after taking a spoonful herself.

"This is the best lentil soup I've ever tasted!" Lajni said. "You can really taste the tamarind. The way it leaves such a tangy flavor in your mouth is exquisite."

"Such a refined palate," Sunil observed. "What a remarkable talent for a young lady. And a Duchess, at that."

Lajni beamed at the compliment. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Naveen rolled his eyes. It was obviously clear what was going on by now. His parents weren't at all subtle sometimes. Were they really trying to set him up with this woman? Did they really think that Tiana's passion for food was all that had attracted him to her? That finding another woman with the same passion would be enough to make him forget?

Naveen felt infuriated, but it wasn't Lajni's fault. He knew it would have been all his parents idea. They would have asked their allies to find someone more suitable and she had been the perfect candidate.

He put his spoon down, finding the lentil soup not at all flavorful himself. "So tell me Lajni." All eyes had turned on Naveen. His parents had such hopeful expressions on their faces, happy that he was actually taking part in the conversation with this eligible woman. "If you are so interested in food, what is your favorite dish to cook?"

She blinked, and Naveen could sense his parents groaning inwardly. "Cook?"

"Yes," Naveen continued. "Surely someone with such a sense of good food must enjoy creating it herself."

"I…I…" Lajni fumbled with her napkin, glancing to the King and Queen for help.

"Naveen," Idhal jumped to the rescue, "you know that a Duchess doesn't need to do something as common as that."

Lajni relaxed a little. "I have my own dedicated team of chefs back home who can cook any number of dishes I tell them to create. I know how to put all the best flavors together to create the perfect meal."

"But you don't do any of the actual work," Naveen said, needing to clarify this.

Lajni chuckled a little. "No, of course not."

Naveen sighed, and removed his napkin from his lap, folding it and placing it back on the table. He stood and bowed first to his parents, and then to Lajni. "I am afraid there has been a terrible misunderstanding, Lajni," he said to her. "You have been asked here under false pretenses. You're a wonderful person, who will no doubt find the perfect husband, but that man is not me."

Naveen bowed again to his parents, glaring intently at them. "If you will excuse me, I seem to have lost my appetite."

* * *

I sleep with the thought of you

with the silhouette

of a single memory, with the scent

of your touch on my skin.

If only I could lose myself in the folds

of your dress, the curl

of your hair. I long to be consumed

In the soft focus fog

of your tenderness.

* * *

My Dearest Tiana,

I started talking to Ray and Evangeline last night. I asked them to watch over you and to give you my love. Did you get their message? It gives me some comfort looking at them in the night sky knowing that you can also see them. If only we could watch them together like we used to. What must Ray think of us now? I am sure he is disappointed in me and sad that we have been separated. But he was also far away from his love for a long time, so perhaps he is more understanding than I first thought.

We will be together again, I promise you, my love. Are you worried? Is that why you haven't written? I wanted to call our Postmaster General in to ask if there had been any letters from you, but Baba said that was a waste of time and money.

"You will get the letters when they arrive," he said, and that was the end of that conversation. Talking with him is like talking with a brick wall sometimes. I feel as if I am making some chips in it though. You must trust me, princess. I know this is hard for you, to wait for me this way with no way to push forward yourself. I promise I am doing everything I can.

I still wonder though, where are your letters? This isn't like you, and I am starting to worry.

Is everything alright? Are you ill? Are you angry with me? Whatever it is, please just tell me. I miss you so much, and it's tearing me apart inside.

Please, please write to me.

I love you with all my heart,

Naveen

* * *

"Do you have those statistics, Sire?"

"Hmm." Sunil looked through the paperwork laid out before him, and then shook his head. "I thought I did. Kedar must still have them in his office. Naveen, would you go fetch him, please?"

Naveen perked up. "Gladly." Anything to get a break from another dull meeting, even if it meant dealing with Kedar.

"And Naveen?" Sunil gave him a stern look as Naveen headed towards the door. "Don't dawdle."

"Yes, Baba."

Immediately upon leaving the meeting room, Naveen felt his chest loosen and his step grow lighter. It would take about five minutes to reach Kedar's office, another minute to explain what was needed of him, add another minute for some snide remark about Naveen's lack of an office (the fact that he had an office while Naveen didn't was always brought up by the Guard Captain, much to Naveen's displeasure), and then five more minutes back to the meeting room meant that Naveen had at least twelve minutes of relative freedom to his disposal.

He didn't know if it was pathetic to be counting his minutes like this, but here he was.

Naveen knocked on the door of Kedar's office, but there was no reply from inside. Kedar must have stepped away for a moment. Naveen tried the door, to find it unlocked. What luck! He could deliver the paperwork his father needed, and not have to deal with Kedar in the process. The only problem was that Naveen didn't know where Kedar would keep such a file, but no matter. Just judging from the looks of the office, he was a very well organized man. It wouldn't take long to find.

Naveen went to the filing cabinet and opened one drawer, and then the next, moving to the next filing cabinet when he didn't find anything when he stopped. This entire cabinet was new, as was the one next to it, and the one next to that. Naveen didn't make it a habit to visit Kedar's office very much, but all of the offices in this wing of the castle all had the exact same layout - including the number of filing cabinets. It didn't take a genius to see that Kedar had started storing quite a lot of paperwork recently. But what could be in there?

The drawers weren't even labeled, which added to Naveen's unease. Everything else that he had seen was meticulously labeled and sorted. What could he be hiding? The thought popped into Naveen's head that maybe he was doing something illegal. Wouldn't that be something. But was Kedar be foolish enough to keep illegal contraband stored in his office? Perhaps. Most everyone was too afraid to come visit him here. Naveen was probably the first person besides Kedar to step into this office in years.

Curious, Naveen opened one of the drawers and gasped at what he found inside.

It was letters. Addressed, stamped, postmarked letters, all written in Naveen's own handwriting. All addressed to Tiana. "What the hell?" he whispered and started digging through the drawers.

They were all here. Letters and letters all from him, just sitting here in Kedar's office! Feeling his anger swell up, Naveen started taking all the letters and pouring them into the floor. And then he opened up the next unmarked cabinet, and he gasped again.

With a trembling hand, Naveen reached for one of the letters stored inside. It wasn't one he had written. It was from Tiana. Here was another, and then another. There were so many! Naveen almost wept with joy. She had been writing to him every day, just like she promised.

The door opened and Naveen looked up to see Kedar walk in. Kedar immediately paled upon finding Naveen surrounded by hundreds of letters.

"These are my letters," Naveen said to Kedar coldly. "What are you doing with my letters?"

* * *

Tiana!

Tiana Tiana Tiana! It is such a relief to finally have your letters in hand. The sky is blue again, flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and I am singing too! I haven't sung at all since I left New Orleans, but now I can't seem to stop. For once, no one seems to blame me, which I will confess is such a relief. In fact, it seems that everyone here seems glad that my spirits have lifted.

Tiana, when I found your letters, I stared at them in disbelief. All these weeks wanting to hear from you, and the letters had been here the whole time! And then once I tore open the first envelope, it was with much difficulty that I slowed myself enough to read the words. I wanted to know everything at once.

But I am getting ahead of myself a bit. I promised I would explain everything.

Perhaps it doesn't surprise you that Kedar had taken our letters and hid them from everyone, including my parents - a fact that I am pleased to report they are very angry about.

Kedar eventually confessed that he had overheard an argument I had with my parents where they said it would be best if we forget each other and that what they were doing was best for Maldonia (a thousand apologies my love. As if I could ever forget you). Without any sort of approval, Kedar took this to mean that he would do everything he could to make sure we had no contact with each other, because he always does what is best for Maldonia.

He would intercept our letters from the post, and he kept them in his office of all places, which is where I found them. I knew something was wrong when I wasn't getting your letters, but I never suspected this kind of sabotage. If I had, I would have gone looking much sooner.

My parents are furious with Kedar. I can't tell you how nice it is to have someone else getting lectured for once, and to have it be Kedar is the icing on the cake, as you would say.

When I found the letters, Kedar came into his office and we shared a few words that I am not going to repeat here. Needless to say our argument carried through a large portion of the castle, and I am pretty sure things were going to get out of hand when my father came into the room and stopped the fight.

Baba saw all of the letters scattered about and I think that is what finally made him listen to me. He knew I had been waiting for your letters. So he had some of his guards watch over Kedar, and my father and I went into his office where for once I was able to make my case without him talking over me.

I was able to finally tell him about Kedar's horrible treatment towards you, and how he was willing to hurt you to get what he wanted. Baba was shocked to hear it, and he told me to tell you how sorry he is that you had to go through that. It was then my turn to be shocked. Baba is not one to shy away from his mistakes, but still, it is very rare to hear an apology from him.

He also apologized about the letters, but this was less heartfelt. Baba said that while he still wasn't happy about our marriage, it didn't mean that we couldn't write to each other. Despite everything, I am taking this as a good sign.

And I still haven't gotten to the best part! Kedar has been dishonorably discharged! He has become a disgrace and a fool, and I won't lie and say it hasn't been delightful to watch because it has. Despite knowing what it feels like to have an entire country disprove of your actions, I feel no sympathy towards him. It is good to see him leave. And who knows, maybe he will meet a mysterious man who turns him into a frog and he will fall in love and finally learn from his mistakes. But something like that probably only happens once in a lifetime.

It wasn't until hours after I found your letters that I was finally alone with them, but just as I was about to open the first envelope I realized that you had experienced the same waiting and worrying as I did. I hate thinking of you feeling like that, so I knew I had to send you a telegram right away, though it was terribly difficult to tear myself away from your letters.

But now at last I have taken your letters to bed with me. Does it shock you to learn that I know them all by heart now? Foolish romantic that I am, I even kiss them and hold them and kiss them again. It is you, my love, every last word. I swear I can even smell New Orleans on the paper. Your neat orderly handwriting, the thumb smudge at the bottom of one page, make me imagine every small detail of you that I have missed so very much.

If I close my eyes I can imagine myself back there with you, holding you close. It is all the more painful, then, when I open my eyes again and remember the great distance that separates us. Still, having your letters here makes the pain lessen, if only a little.

I have your picture beside me now, which has also been well kissed. You are so beautiful, Tiana. It's not that I forgot, but imagining your face and seeing it are two very different things. I can only hope it isn't much longer until I can see (and kiss) the real thing again.

I love you so much, Tiana.

Yours, forever and ever,

Naveen

* * *

There was a knock on Naveen's door as he signed the letter, and his head sprang up in surprise. Naveen had been much too excited to sleep, and so it was quite late, much too late for anyone to be knocking on his door. "Come in," he said.

Sunil opened the door.

"Oh. Hello, Baba."

"Hello, son." Sunil was dressed ready for bed in his pajamas and robe, but it seemed he couldn't sleep either. It had been quite a day.

Sunil walked over to the desk where Naveen was writing and gestured to the nearby chair. "Do you mind if I take a seat?"

"No, no. Of course not."

Sunil sighed as he settled in the chair while Naveen fidgeted at the desk. He didn't know what to do with himself. It felt so strange having his father here in his room. Usually they talked in his office, or somewhere more public like the dining areas. Naveen could only remember a handful of times Sunil had sat in that same chair. When Sunil had explained that Naveen's grandmother had passed away, when his parents told him the war was getting too close and he would have to be sent to the country to be safe. When they told him Idhal was expecting and there would be a new prince or princess in a few months.

What did Sunil have to say now? Naveen was afraid to break the awkward silence that settled between them. That by saying something he would somehow take away any progress he had made today. And it did feel like he had made some.

At last Sunil looked over at Naveen's desk, and nodded towards Tiana's picture that was proudly displayed there. "Is that Tiana?" he asked.

"Yes."

The king held out his hand. "May I see?"

Naveen handed his father the picture, and Sunil smiled softly at it. "She's very beautiful."

Naveen had to laugh at that. "Yes, I know." Hadn't he been saying that all this time? But still, it felt good to laugh, and to smile. It had been a long time since he had done either of those things.

Sunil held Naveen's gaze as he handed back the picture, his own smile growing warmer upon seeing his son's happy face. "Tell me about her."

"Really?"

Sunil nodded. "Yes. I'll… I'll listen this time."


	14. Chapter 14

My Dear Dear Naveen,

It's only been a few hours since I finished reading all your letters, and I am still feeling a little giddy, so please forgive me if this letter rambles. I can't believe it was Kedar who kept our letters from each other. Except when I think of my few interactions with him, maybe I can. It sounds like he got his comeuppance though, so I can sleep easy tonight knowing there is one less thing to trouble you.

I can't put it into words just how happy I am, my darling, to have finally heard from you and to know how you are doing. All your letters came at once and I thought I might burst when I saw they were from you! Your handwriting is beautiful, by the way, but I'm sure you already knew that.

It really is so wonderful to finally have your letters. I hope you don't mind, but I shared some of them with Mama. She was anxious to hear about you, too. I know she has plenty of thoughts running around her head about your parents not blessing our marriage, but she's smartly keeping her lips buttoned for once. She knows I'll call her a hypocrite if she starts to complain about how long it's taking them to change their minds!

As for me, I'm trying to stay positive. This is a much more difficult situation than getting my Mama's blessing, if only for the fact that I can't even make a case for myself because I'm not there and they haven't met me. Should I write to them? Do you think that would make any difference? And if so… what would I even say? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this as, obviously, between the two of us, you know them best.

In the meantime, please know that I'm sending you my thoughts, and my love. I'm sure you've also noticed by now that I also sent you some cookies. I've been racking my brain trying to come up with something I can do for you, and this was all I could come up with. I hope you like them and that they aren't stale by the time they get to you. I also don't know what your favorite flavor is (how can I not know this by now?) so I made a few different ones and hoped for the best. Please let me know how they are and which you like best so that I can 1. Make a better care package for you for next time and 2. Learn things I should know by now about my husband.

Sometimes I feel like we know each other better than anyone else in the world, and then there are other times when it feels like we hardly know each other at all. And still, even when I'm feeling like that, in my heart I know that there's no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. Do you ever feel this way? Does it scare you?

I wish you were here so we could talk about it. Life is still going on somehow, but I feel empty without you. Your letters help, but they can never replace the real you.

Hurry home, Froggy.

I'm waiting for you.

All my love,

Tiana

P.S. Another thing I didn't know about you is that you're such a poet. Your letters and poems are so beautiful that they almost make me cry. In a good way though. I started thinking about what I've written to you, and all my letters feel so plain and boring compared to yours. Not that it's a competition, but I guess this is an apology of sorts.

I don't know how to write down my feelings for you. I tried to write something for this letter but I had to tear it up. I had an idea in my head of how I wanted it to sound, but somewhere between my brain and the paper everything got muddled. It wasn't at all how I had imagined it in my head.

I've come to realize since you left that I tend to show love by doing things for people. I think this is one of the reasons I feel so lost in this situation. More than anything I want to be by your side to help you through this, but since I can't I'm left with not much to do but write to you and wait.

This may sound strange but, do you have any advice on writing a romantic letter? Since the letters will be coming to you, you can tell me exactly what you want.

While I try and figure this out, please know that when I write I love you, I mean it with all my heart.

T

* * *

To my Adoring Wife,

Imagine my surprise and delight when your letter was delivered to me at breakfast this morning! I admit, even after finding out Kedar had been keeping our letters from each other, there was still a part of me that wondered if this practice would continue. How glad I am to say that it is not!

I immediately excused myself from breakfast to read your letter, and upon finishing it I find that my mood has brightened considerably. Not only because I have your letter but because of cookies! So many cookies!

You really outdid yourself, my love. They are all so delicious, and to know that it was you who made them just for me has filled my heart with such intense happiness that I almost can't sit still. But I am managing it, if only so I can write you back.

As for my favorite flavor, I don't know yours either, so we are even on that. And you can't ask me to choose because I love them all! So I suppose that is my answer, though I can already anticipate you won't be satisfied with it. Cookies in Maldonia are so different than these ones you've made, and the flavors are unlike anything else I've ever had. It must be that magic touch you seem to add to all your dishes.

In all honesty though, I couldn't possibly pick a favorite of something that you've made. I know you will think this is me just trying to flatter you, but everything here has tasted so flat and dry, I've hardly had any appetite. Until now.

I know it's not fair to ask you what your favorite is when I didn't really answer you, but please tell me. I'm desperate for any new information about you.

I am glad that you shared my letters with your mother. I miss her too, and think of her often, especially now that I am spending a lot of time with my own mother.

Ammi and Baba seem to have thawed a little towards me, but not enough to let me return to you. After we learned of Kedar's treachery Baba and I talked long into the night, and the next day Ammi and I shared a long conversation in her gardens. I think they feel guilty that our letters were kept from each other for so long, and so they are trying to make it up to me. Whatever the reason, it is nice that they are finally listening to me. They do seem to like to hear about you as well, which is good because I hardly want to talk of anything else!

I think writing to them is a wonderful idea! They can get to know you without having to go through me, which I think is part of what makes them so hesitant. It's not that I exaggerate when speaking of you, my love, only that they  _think_ I am exaggerating when I tell them how wonderful you are. When it comes right from the source, they will see that I am telling them the truth.

The only other big news I can share with you is that the preparations for Lawrence's trial have begun. Everyone seems to be talking about it non-stop, and whenever I think of it I find that my stomach turns in knots. I am going to have to testify.

It's not the speaking part that worries me, but I find that I am conflicted in my feelings for my former valet.

It was my past behavior that pushed him over the edge. I know that now. So in many ways, it is my own fault that he is being punished. And yet at the same time, I didn't tell him to betray me in the way that he did, so in that vein he brought it all on himself.

I also know how easily the Shadow Man could manipulate people, so was it really Lawrence's fault that he fell into the trap he did? Then again, I know that if you hadn't stopped the Shadow Man when you did, my love, that Lawrence would have been a willing accessory to a lot of pain and suffering to the people of New Orleans. Many people would have died, including myself.

And then also, I struggle because sometimes I wonder if I owe Lawrence for the simple fact that, if things hadn't worked out the way they did, we might not have met and fallen in love.

What should I do, Tiana? As the prince, my testimony will weigh more heavily than anything else presented in trial. Everything that I say, even my tone of voice, will basically decide if Lawrence goes free or is sent to prison for the rest of his life. I don't like having this weight on my shoulders, but there it is. I hate to also put this burden on you, but I am in desperate need of your help. You are the only one who could possibly understand.

Despite all my troubles I just wrote about, I just spent the last five minutes laughing because I looked over and saw that all the cookies you sent me are gone. I can't believe I ate them all while writing to you! Ravi will be upset because I promised to give him some after I finished this letter. Please, if you are able, send more so he can taste a cookie made by his loving sister-in-law.

I am missing you terribly. Not a moment goes by that I am not thinking of you. I am doing my best to return to your side soon, but I think it will have to wait for awhile. At least until Lawrence's trial is over.

Devotedly yours,

Naveen

P.S. Tiana, you are so wonderful, and I love you so much, but I can practically hear you overthinking everything halfway around the world from you. Did you really ask me what I want in a love letter from you? I don't mean to tease you, love, so here is my advice.

The secret to writing a good love letter is that it comes from the heart, and that is what you have already done. Your letters are beautiful because they come from you, so there is no need to write a fancy poem or anything like that if you don't want to. And if you are worried about expressing your feelings on paper, the simple fact that you are still writing to me after everything that has happened tells me everything I need to know.

All I want is to keep hearing from you. Well, what I really want is to be by your side and to be kissing you over and over again, but for now your letters will do. But if you do change your mind and decide to send me something like that, I would never stop you. Quite the opposite, my darling. I would enjoy it very much.

P.P.S. If you are feeling so anxious about the love letters, should I stop writing them to you?

N

* * *

Dearest Naveen,

You stinker, you ate all those cookies in one sitting!? For your sake I hope you didn't get a stomach ache, and if you did, I hope you learned your lesson and will share this time. I didn't even think of Ravi when I sent those before (I feel like a terrible sister-in-law. I don't know anything about him either) so I made some cookies specifically for him. I know I'm not being very subtle about making him like me by giving him sweets but I'm not going to take any chances. Plus, my Mama always said the easiest way to a man's heart is through his stomach!

Just make sure he doesn't ruin his appetite. I don't want your parents more upset with me than they probably are.

I decided I would write a letter to them, and I'm working on it right now. It's taking me longer than I thought it would, but I'm terrified that I'm going to write the wrong thing to them. I'll do my best to make you proud. Wish me luck, I think I'll need it.

As for my favorite flavor of cookie, I like anything that has chocolate in it. Or peanut butter. Or fruit. So okay, I can't pick a favorite either. I guess that just means we have one more thing in common, and in a weird way it makes me glad. Lately it feels like we're so different from each other, almost too different. I'm happy to find more common ground with you, even if it's something as silly as this.

Judging by how much you wrote in your last letter about Lawrence, I can tell you're feeling very anxious about it all, so I won't stall on that any longer. I've thought long and hard about it, and I asked Mama her thoughts too. I asked Louis and Lottie, and everyone had something different to say.

Lottie doesn't think Lawrence should be punished, as she thinks he was more of a pawn than anything. She said that everything worked out alright in the end, so why not let bygones be bygones. But she's always looked at the world through these rose colored glasses, and I didn't have the heart to tell her that her Daddy was going to be one of the first casualties of the Shadow Man's plan. Still after everything, it's remarkable that she doesn't hold a grudge.

Louis on the other hand, does. I think he still feels a bit angry about Ray's death, even though he was finally able to join Evangeline. With the Shadow Man gone, Louis seems to lay part of the blame on Lawrence. I've never seen Louis so angry before, and I'll admit to you here that it was scary to see.

Mama seems to have faith in the Maldonian justice system, and says that you're putting too much pressure on yourself. She says that it's the judge, and not you, who will decide Lawrence's fate, so you don't have to worry about it.

But that doesn't make any sense to me, and not just because I'm a worrier by nature. None of these answers really sit right with me, and while I don't know exactly what you're thinking right now, I don't think you'll be happy with any of them either.

I'm sure you're wondering what I eventually decided, and the answer is… I don't know. Please don't be too upset with me, but I keep circling around to all different choices and I can't make up my mind on anything. All I can really offer you is some advice. I think you'll be fine as long as you tell the truth and stay true to yourself, you just have to decide what that means for you.

I'll always be here to for you to talk to, and I'll support you whatever it is you chose. I know you'll make the right decision, whatever it is.

I love you,

Tiana

P.S. Okay you're right, I was overthinking things a bit. I can't help it though. I'll keep trying to write you something though. Please bare with me, and you have to promise that if I manage to do it, you won't laugh.

P.P.S. Please don't stop writing the love notes. I really like them.

T

* * *

Tiana,

I'm having terribly naughty thoughts about you again today. I try to focus on everything I need to do here, but I keep having these delicious new ideas for what to do to you when we are alone.

I will kiss you and hold you close to me. I imagine that I lift your dress a little and then kiss your stomach. It's so warm and soft and perfect. I get hungry for you so I kiss you more and taste you and you're so delicious it only makes me want you more.

Sometimes I imagine that we have our own house, and I find you in the kitchen cooking breakfast. So I kiss your neck and your back and the backs of your knees and up your thighs and the eggs burn.

N

* * *

To Their Royal Majesties the King and Queen of Maldonia,

My name is Tiana Batiste, and I am in love with your son. I'm sure you've come to your own conclusions about me after, I assume, Naveen has told you some things. But I still wanted to write to you to explain some things and let you know me a bit more.

Firstly, I know Naveen told you the story of how we met, and I wanted to say that despite it's sounding fantastical, it is all true. There is no reason for you to believe either of us, as there is no proof, but it is the truth. If you want to hear my side of the story to compare it to Naveen's I can do that for you. You only have to ask.

I also want to emphasize that I really do love Naveen. If he was as popular with women as he said he was, this might not be the first time you've gotten a letter from someone proclaiming their love for him. I only bring it up because I wanted to let you know that, yes I know about the women, yes I know about the fire, yes I know he has been cut off. But I still love him, and I also know that he has changed.

Naveen will probably tell you that it was me who changed him, but I like to think that I only inspired him to change. I pushed him to mince mushrooms for the first time, but ever since then, everything he's done has been something he wanted to do. I know I'm supposed to be talking about myself, but from Naveen's letters, it doesn't sound like he's been given much of a chance to show you his new side.

He brought out a new side in me, too. I have this dream, you see, that one day I would open up my own restaurant. It may not seem like much to you, but it's been my whole world ever since I was a little girl. My Daddy taught me how to cook and we shared this dream together. He died before he could see it happen though, and I've been trying to make sure that our dream came true. But I let the dream consume me, and it became something else, something not healthy. I was driving people away, and I was working myself to the bone for it. Naveen has helped me come into the light again.

Maybe this isn't showing you my best sides, but I wanted to give you a realistic view of who I am. I love Naveen, and I know that there are plenty of things to work out as far as our marriage is concerned, but please know that I'm not afraid of hard work. I'm not naive in thinking that being a princess is just dancing in a ball gown and looking pretty. I may not have the experience and knowledge you are looking for in a princess, but I've worked hard my entire life, and I'm not afraid to continue doing that.

I can prove myself to you, if you'll only give me the chance.

Sincerely,

Tiana

* * *

There was something off about Lottie today, but Tiana couldn't quite put her finger on it. True that Lottie was always a bit scatterbrained, but today she seemed worse than ever. It didn't help that Tiana's mind was on other things too.

It was Tiana's birthday, and even though she had her friends and family to celebrate with her, she knew that it wasn't possible to get what she really wanted. But Lottie had invited her over for cake so Tiana put on a weary smile while she moved the food around on her plate. It was a good cake, but Tiana just wasn't in the mood. Plus she felt like she's overstayed her welcome after being here for so long.

"Maybe it's time I got going," Tiana said, standing up from her chair.

"NO!" Lottie practically screamed, then winced. "I mean, can't you stay a bit longer?" She glanced at the clock on the wall and then into the main hallway, before she started to bite her thumbnail.

Tiana pursed her lips. "I don't know, Lottie. It's awfully late. And Mama will be worried if I'm not home soon."

Lottie waved her hand in the air, dismissively. "It's your birthday, Tia! Your Mama wants you to stay out and have fun and not be cooped up all day."

Tiana just raised an eyebrow. Cooped up was exactly what she felt like. Any suggestion Tiana gave to doing something downtown or even in the backyard was quickly shot down by Lottie who seemed determined that they stay in the front room.

"Okay, wrong turn of phrase," Lottie said. "But you will stay, won't you, Tia? I feel like I hardly ever get to see you. Let's play some cards, or work on a puzzle!"

Thrilling, Tiana thought sarcastically. But there wasn't really anything wrong with a quiet night in, even if it was out of character for Lottie. And her friend really did seem to want her to stay. "Alright, but just for a bit."

Once they poured the pieces of the puzzle out on the table, Tiana saw her friend glance at the clock and then the main hallway again. "Are you waiting for something, Lottie?"

"Me? No no no no no," Lottie laughed. "I just uh… like to know what time it is! Aren't clocks just fascinating? And then when you think about the concept of time… just… wow!"

"Uh huh," Tiana chuckled, shaking her head. "Time flies, as they say."

"Right? I knew you'd get it, Tia. You're so smart."

The phone that was mounted in the main hallway began to ring. Lottie practically screamed and puzzle pieces went everywhere.

"Let me help you, Lottie," Tiana said and got down on her knees to gather up the pieces.

"No no, it's okay really!" Lottie was trying to pick up the mess, but her frantic movements were only scattering them further. "You should answer the phone!"

"I… what?" Tiana asked.

"Go answer the phone, that's what will really help!"

Tiana shot her another questioning look. "Okay if you say so." The phone rang again and Tiana strolled over to it. It felt strange to her, she'd never really talked on the phone to anyone, not having one herself. Really the only time she had ever done it was soon after the LaBouff's had this phone installed and it was just to talk to Lottie who was calling from another phone because she was so excited about it. That had been a long time ago, and as Tiana neared the machine, she was once again struck by how easily it looked like a face.

The two bells could be the eyes, and the mouthpiece could either be a mouth or a nose depending on how you looked at it. It rang again.

"Tia hurry!" Lottie called from the other room.

"Okay, okay, hold your horses," Tiana mumbled and picked up the receiver. She held it up to her ear, feeling awkward and unsure of herself. How loud was she supposed to talk? "Um.. Hello? This is the LaBouff residence."

The operator spoke in clipped sharp tones. "I have a long distance call on the line, do you accept?"

Long distance? "I uh… just a minute." Tiana cupped her hand over the mouthpiece and called out, "Lottie, it's long distance. Should I accept?"

"YES!"

Tiana could practically picture her friend jumping up and down with excitement, and she expected to see Lottie come barreling around the corner ready to pick up the receiver and take over the call, but nothing else happened.

"Yes, I accept," Tiana said into the phone, unsure of what else to do. Everything went silent for a moment as the operator connected the call. Then Tiana heard a series of clicks. Were they connected now? Who was this mysterious person on the phone calling long distance?

"Hello?" Tiana asked tentatively.

She could have sworn she heard a soft gasp on the other end, and then a chuckle.

"Hello, princess."

Tears sprang to her eyes as every emotion seemed to flood into her. Tiana clutched the phone, afraid that she might faint or worse, accidentally hang up. "Naveen?! Is that you?"

"Who else would be calling you long distance?"

Who else indeed! She was laughing through her tears and she glanced over to the front room where Lottie was peeking out from behind the door. Lottie gave her a big smile and two thumbs up.

Tiana returned the smile with a grateful one of her own and then Lottie closed the door, allowing Tiana as much privacy as she could have when the phone was placed in the hallway.

"It's so good to hear your voice," Tiana said, sniffing. "Did you and Lottie put this together?"

Naveen laughed again and Tiana's heart swelled. Oh such a wonderful laugh he had! How she'd missed it! How could she have ever thought of anything else but the sound of him?

"I wrote her a letter saying I would try and make this call happen and to see if she could keep you by the phone. I didn't even know if it was possible it took so long to get the call connected. Even so, my princess, I'm afraid we don't have much time."

As happy as she was, fear suddenly took hold in her heart. Couldn't they stay talking on the phone forever? "We don't?"

"Can you hear how fragile the call is?"

Tiana then noticed all the clicks and crackles on the line, and she was once again struck by just how far away he was. "Yes, I hear it."

"The call could be disconnected at any time, so I'll talk fast, my love. I just wanted to say I love you, and happy birthday."

Now she was crying again. "You remembered."

"Of course I did. I remember everything about you."

"You're crazy," Tiana said, laughing, not really knowing what she was saying, only trying to take in the sound of his voice and make sure she could carry it with her always. "I love you, too. And I miss you, Naveen. I miss you so much."

"I miss you, too, Tiana." The sound of her name on his lips made shivers travel up and down her spine. How was he able to do this to her? "I wish I was there with you."

"Me too."

"Next year though, my darling. Next year I will be by your side, and for every birthday hereafter, I will be next to you celebrating as we grow older together in love."

Tiana closed her eyes when he spoke. It made it easier to picture him there by her side, smiling at her and stroking her cheek. If she concentrated hard enough she could even feel his touch there. "I'd like that very much," she said, wiping away a tear.

"Please don't cry, Tiana," Naveen said. "I didn't mean to make you sad."

"How did you know I was crying?" Tiana asked.

"I can hear you sniffling."

She had to laugh. "Sorry."

"Let's talk about happier things," Naveen said. "You're getting all my letters now, yes?"

"Yes, I am," Tiana said smiling into the phone.

"All my letters?" Naveen's voice grew lower and a bit softer, but not too soft that she couldn't hear him over the crackle of the phone.

Tiana felt her cheeks flush with heat, fully aware of which letters he was talking about. She giggled despite herself.

"I take that as a yes."

"Yes." Tiana was laughing now. "You'd better be careful with those in the future, mister, because I opened one the last one in front of my Mama!"

Naveen was laughing too. "What did she say?"

"You think I told her what was in there?" Tiana said, grinning. "I made up some excuse and hightailed it out of there before she could figure it out."

"Do you want me to stop writing them, then?"

Tiana twirled the phone cord around her finger. "No," she whispered. "I like them."

"What was that, princess?"

Tiana rolled her eyes, was he really teasing her now? But she had missed that too. "I said I liked them," she said more firmly.

But the only thing that answered was a few clicks and silence. Oh no. Was the line disconnected?

"-iana? Are you still there?"

"Yes! Can you hear me?"

"Not very well," Naveen replied. He sounded even further away now. There were a lot more clicks and crackles now. "There's not much time. I love you, Tiana. I love you with all my heart."

"I love you too, Naveen."

There was nothing but silence on the other end of the line.

The operator's voice chimed in, startling Tiana. The operator was much louder and clearer than Naveen had been. "I'm sorry, you've been disconnected."

"Yes," Tiana said. "I know."

* * *

To My Evangeline,

Talking with you on the phone seems to have invigorated me! I am so sorry that the call was cut short, but I am so glad that we were able to talk, even for a little while.

It was morning here when we spoke (I had spent the entire evening before tossing and turning, worrying that they would not be able to put the call through, but miracles of miracles it happened! I am trying to convince my father to give whoever was responsible a large bonus in their paycheck. We will see if this happens.) and even though I hadn't slept well, I couldn't stay still after we spoke!

Hearing you say my name, hearing you say I love you! Being able to just speak with you! It was enough to send me over the moon with happiness! Ravi and I danced around the palace, and I think everyone was glad to see me in higher spirits than I have been lately. It was when we finally stopped in front of the ballroom that I had a thought, and I feel so frustrated that I did not think of it before. It must have been you, my darling, who knocked some sense into me, like you always do.

You see, while it is true that my parents are listening to me when I speak of you, nothing else is different in their attitude towards me. I don't think they believe that I am a changed man. And really, why should they?

Tiana, I hate to admit it, but after I arrived in Maldonia, much of my behavior went back to the way it was before. NOT WITH THE WOMEN THOUGH! I cannot stress that enough. I hope you know that I would never ever do that to you.

What I mean is, that there are so many servants here who do everything for you, which only makes it easier to let them. There are a few things that I have subconsciously been doing for myself, but for the most part, the servants have been doing everything.

This is stopping now.

You should have seen their faces when word got around that I made my own bed this morning! Not very well, mind you, but I still did it! And then after breakfast when I cleared the table and brought the dishes all the way back to the kitchen to begin washing them, you would have thought that my mother had a heart attack.

But the dishes are now clean, and I plan on doing the same for lunch, and supper, and so on until we are together again. Except, no that is not quite correct because I will still be washing the dishes when we are together! And I can promise you I will be happy to do so.

I don't know if I will be able to go further into the kitchen to actually make the meals you taught me, but perhaps soon I can show off my skills there, limited though they are.

This brings me back to my thought I had. While washing the dishes and making beds are all well and good, I don't think they are enough to prove that I am a changed man. So I thought, what better way to do this than by repairing the burnt ballroom? Very smart, yes?

I opened the door to the ballroom for the first time since the fire, and it is in very poor condition. There is a lot of work to be done on it, that is for sure.

I am sure you can guess my biggest problem, my love. I haven't got the slightest clue as to how to accomplish any of this. Can you help me? I remember you said that you had plans for fixing up the sugar mill into your restaurant. Does this mean you are as talented at carpentry as you are at being a chef? For my sake I hope so because I feel completely lost.

While I wait for your reply I will do my best to clean out the rubble and get rid of the smoke damage. I need to keep busy to keep my mind off of the trial. It is set to start in three weeks, and I still haven't decided what to do. Your thoughts are ever helpful, my love, and I hope I didn't burden you too much with these problems of my own making. I will do my best to do right by you.

Your Frog Prince,

Naveen

PS I hope I haven't scared you away with thoughts of love letters and poetry. You don't have to do anything you don't want to,  _mi sitara lu'seinn._

I love you,

N

* * *

Dear Tiana,

We were quite surprised when our son delivered to us this message from you. Apologies for how long it took us to reply. As I'm am sure you are aware, there is a lot going on here that requires our direct attention.

I will say your tone is a bit more informal than we are used to, but it must have taken a lot of courage for you to write to use the way you did. Even before reading your letter, this has given us another clue into the person Naveen tells us he is in love with.

Naveen seems to be in high spirits lately, and he is also acting a bit differently as well. It seems we have you to thank for that.

Still, you must think us monsters for bringing Naveen back and keeping you separated. While you seem like a lovely woman, from what Naveen has told us, and from your letter, we just don't feel it's in our best interests for you two to be together at this time. Please understand that things are very complicated right now.

That's not to say that you shouldn't keep writing. I admire your spirit, and my husband does as well.

Regards,

Qu. Idhal of Maldonia

* * *

Prince of My Heart,

After our call was disconnected, I had a long talk with Lottie and she told me how you two had worked everything out so that we could talk. I'm so lucky to have a friend like her, and also to have such a wonderful husband as yourself. It was the best birthday present I've ever received. Talking with you, even just for those few minutes has lifted my spirits as well.

I could sleep at all that night, just because I was so happy! Every time I settled down to sleep, my thoughts would turn to you and then I would smile and giggle to myself and hug my pillow tight. I imagined the pillow was you and then I would start giggling all over again.

Then, of course, I also got the earrings you sent. They're the most beautiful piece of jewelry I've ever received! Not counting my necklace of course, which I wear everyday. Have I mentioned that to you before? There was a slight mishap with the chain, but it's been fixed, so I don't want you to worry about it.

I do wish our call had been longer. There are so many things we didn't get a chance to talk about. I was just so surprised to talk to you I didn't even think of them. I guess that's the good thing about these letters is that I can take my time.

But I do want to say that I love your idea of fixing up the ballroom! That's the perfect way to show your parents your true side.

I'm not a master carpenter by any means, but I have been studying it for a long time with the idea that I'd be fixing up the sugar mill. I learned everything I know from the book about home repair I sent along with this letter. I guess I don't really need it anymore since somebody else has the sugar mill now, so I'm glad someone will get some use out of it.

I went ahead and marked some pages that might be useful to you, but reading the whole thing might be beneficial. You can ignore all my other notes in it, those were obviously for the sugar mill.

I wish I could help you more, but as it is, know that I'm thinking of you and wishing you all the best. Also, I know I don't need to say this, but I will - now that you'll be working with tools and things, please be careful.

I miss you, Naveen, but it was so good to hear your voice.

I just hope it isn't too long before I can hear it again.

Yours,

Tiana

PS It's taken long enough for me to finally get down to writing this to you. I didn't want it to be too melodramatic or sappy. It's not a poem but I still wanted to write something nice to tell you how I feel so….here I go. Just bear with me.

I never expected to find someone that meant so much to me in such a short period of time. It feels funny, almost like a belly ache, but a good belly ache.

This is still all so new to me, but with you everything feels like it's in the right place. You brought fun back into my life, but that doesn't even come close to describing all that you've done for me. I think you know how much my life has changed for the better since I first met you. You are the most beautiful person I have ever known and my affection for you is boundless.

When they said distance makes the heart grow fonder, they weren't lying. I am once again reminded never to take anything for granted, especially your love, your patience, and your presence.

T

* * *

To Her Royal Majesty Queen Idhal of Maldonia,

I do understand that things are complicated, believe me. Still, I think I will keep writing to you, if you don't mind. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, as I also understand that you lead a very busy life.

I thought though, that you might enjoy playing a little chess with me. I've never played by mail, but I know it's a popular thing to do, and something tells me that you enjoy it. Each of the squares on the game board are assigned a letter and a number, so we can just write what pieces we want to move and where. I'll start.

Pawn to E4.

Your move,

Tiana

* * *

Pawn to C5.

Idhal

* * *

My Dearest Heart,

This book you sent me is marvelous! It's so helpful! You are right, it seems to have all the information I need. However, having the knowledge and having the skill are two very different things. Work on the ballroom is going slower than I had thought, but at least I can see some progress is being made.

I was right about my parents reaction. They saw me covered in dust and I swear they almost fainted. I think the last time they saw me covered in so much filth was when I was a boy and I had snuck out after a rain shower to play in the mud. At least now I have a good excuse for my mess!

We did have another argument, of course, though it wasn't long before they came around to my way of thinking. They are still very skeptical, but I know when I show them the finished ballroom it will make all the difference. I have decided to keep them out of the ballroom until all the work is done so that the transformation will be a complete shock to them. I am also hoping it will make it all the more impressive too, when it is all finished. I know I can do it, though it might take some time. I hate to ask you once more to forgive me for taking so long to get back to you, but here I am again, asking you. I think, though, that this is something I need to do. I know you'll understand.

It is nice to have all this work to do to distract me from my testimony in Lawrence's trial yesterday. My stomach was in knots as I took the stand, and was finally forced to make a decision about what to do.

I hope I made you proud. I told the truth about everything, and did not shy away from my past behavior and how it lead to Lawrence's decisions. I'm not sure this was common knowledge, but it is all that anyone seems to be talking about today. I don't even think my parents realized how cruel I was.

Now the last of my shame is out in the open. Strangely I feel cleaner about it all, as if airing all my faults has at last given me the new chance I desire.

All that is left to do now is to wait.

In the meantime, as always, I am talking with my parents about you. My mother tells me that you wrote to her. I am so impressed, darling! She still seems dismissive about our marriage, but she tells me that you are a talented chess player. What is all this about? How did you know that she enjoys playing chess? Ammi brags sometimes about how she would play on the national scale when she was younger, though I suppose the fact that she really only plays with other dignitaries means she still is.

It also doesn't surprise me at all that you are an accomplished chess player. You do well in all that you do.

Sending you all my love,

Naveen

PS Oh my darling, my love, my heart. I wept tears of joy when I read your note. It was so brave and clear it pierced my heart. I am honored, awed and deeply moved by your love which is both gentle and soft as first snow, and fierce and unshakable as steel.

Thank you, for everything.

N

* * *

My Dear Naveen,

I am proud of you. I'm proud of you for everything you're doing now, and for how far you've come! It's astonishing to me that you're the same person/frog who couldn't even mince mushrooms. And now you're fixing up an entire ballroom!

I wish I could see all the work you're putting into it, as well as the finished product. I know it'll be beautiful. This really was a great idea, and I hope that you're as pleased with yourself as I am.

And too, for doing what you did in the trial. That must have been really difficult for you, but it's one more step to proving to everyone, and to yourself, just how changed you are. And for the better, I'll add.

I'm practically bursting with pride. The fist thing I'm going to do when you come back is give you a great big kiss, just to prove it. Well, and also because I'll be very happy to see you again. I think you know that kisses can mean more than one thing.

As for the chess games with your mother, well, let me explain my reasonings. When I first wrote to your parents, it took them a long time to finally reply. It probably won't shock you to find out that, while she didn't say I couldn't keep writing to her, it didn't guarantee that she would reply, much less read what I had written. So I decided I would try and make the letters a little more interesting for her.

I hope you don't mind, but during the time when I wasn't getting your letters, I went to the library and found a book on Maldonian history. There was the  _cutest_ portrait of you when you were a boy in there! But I also learned about your mothers penchant for all things chess.

I took a chance that if I introduced the idea of us playing chess, she would have to open my letters, and she would have to reply to me if she wanted to keep playing. So far it's worked, even though she hasn't said much besides what chess pieces she wants to move.

I still keep writing to her, though, just on the off chance that she is reading what I have to say. She seems to sometimes. When I told her about how Daddy died in the war she replied with a lengthy letter (for her at least).

Now that I know a little more about what you're up against with your parents, you have even more of my sympathy. I hope it makes you feel a little better knowing that I'm fighting for us too, even if it's not much.

Love,

Tiana

* * *

Tiana

I had another dream about you last night. It seems that all of my dreams have been about you lately, and they are all very very naughty. This time we were in my bed here. Why you were here in Maldonia, I don't know, and I didn't care. I was obviously preoccupied by other things.

Like the way that you looked, naked and spread out before me. And the way your skin tasted as I kissed every inch of you. And then the way your hips moved against mine when we were joined together at last.

I woke with the sound of your moans in my ear, and I haven't been able to think of anything else since.

I feel like a fool, Tiana. We had the chance to be together and I had those ridiculous notions in my head that we should wait so that I could treat you the way that you deserve. But I would have done that for you anytime we were together, so what was I thinking?

I don't know if it would be worse if we had been together so intimately before being separated, but at least we would have memories instead of having to imagine it.

And I do imagine it. A lot. You and I, together in a soft bed. We make love and afterwards I watch your breasts rise and fall with your breath, and I wrap my arms around you. I hold you close and tell you what you already know - I love you, over and over again. Even in these dreams and imaginings, I always feel that quiet buzz of rightness that seems to happen whenever you are near.

I am missing your kisses and your touch and just you so terribly right now.

Longing for you,

Naveen

PS Do you ever think of me this way?

* * *

Naveen,

This letter is for your eyes only. I don't think you would share it but I can't stress it enough. Writing those love notes was hard enough for me, so this is on a whole other level.

I waited until Mama was asleep to write this, and even now I keep glancing at the door, afraid that she knows what I'm thinking and what I'm about to write. I feel kind of dirty writing it, but also kind of excited. Is this normal?

I do think about you that way, and I have dreams about you, too.

I know I'm hopelessly naive about all that happens between a husband and a wife, but I still think about it. I think about you, and how I feel when we kiss. I think about what we've done together, and I especially think of our time together on the couch on our wedding night.

I think about that a lot.

And then, sometimes, when I think of us doing…more, I feel… I don't know. Nervous? Anxious? Excited? All of the above? I worry because I don't know what to do, and you're like Casanova. It's not that I think you'll laugh at me but…I still worry.

And then what if I'm bad at it? The last thing I want to do is disappoint you, especially when I know how much you enjoy…this kind of thing.

Should we even be talking about this?

Thinking of you,

Tiana

* * *

Princess,

Lawrence has been found guilty of treason. I suppose in retrospect it doesn't surprise me. This doesn't happen very often, and this particular judge is happy to take any chance to appear in the history books.

The verdict came earlier this week, and you know what I did right after I found out? I pardoned Lawrence. This was the first time I have ever used my power as the prince, and I hope you will agree that it was for a worthy cause.

I have spent a long time, as you know, thinking of my relationship with Lawrence. And then when I saw him when I testified it seemed to bring it all back to me. It was all my fault that he did what he did. I pushed him to it, and though Lawrence was guilty, he didn't deserve to spend the rest of his life in jail for it.

After I pardoned him, I snuck Lawrence away, and we were at last able to talk about our past mistakes. We had a long conversation, and we both apologized for everything. It felt good to finally be able to do that, and I think Lawrence felt the same.

I told him about you, and all my work on the ballroom. He didn't seem to believe me, so I decided to show him, and you should have seen his face! He was very impressed, if I do say so myself. Part of me hoped that he would wish to help, as I could use another pair of hands, but he didn't. I suppose we're not there yet. But we might never be there, and that is alright too.

I asked Lawrence what he wanted to do next, but understandably, he had no ideas, and perhaps worst of all, no funds to do it. It was then that I realized that I had depleted his savings fund to take us to New Orleans, and I no longer felt as happy about all the good work I had done.

I then had it in my mind that I would somehow pay him back, but with no job and still no inheritance, I was obviously lacking in the money to do so. I was getting ready to write to you to ask your advice, when I began to look around my room, and I realized that I didn't need half of the things I had in here.

So I sold them.

It turns out that people will pay an almost alarming amount of money for royal regalia. I was able to earn enough money to pay Lawrence back for the trip and then some. I wanted to give him some help in his new life, wherever it is he goes. I wish him all the best, and I hope that you are still proud of me.

It wasn't until after all of this that I realized I had acted without my parents permission and I braced myself waiting for their anger to come. Shockingly, however, it didn't. They seemed altogether pleased, and Baba even said that he had never been more proud to call me his son.

It was an emotional evening, that was for sure, and all in all, I think it has moved things forward in our favor. Still, I for one, am glad that I can put this all behind me to focus on more important things.

Like you. And me. In bed.

Sweetheart, of course it's normal to be nervous and excited when you think of us together. I get excited too, when I think of it. I get very excited. But I don't want you to worry too much, my love. I know it will be your first time, so I'll show you what to do. I will do everything I can to make it perfect for you.

Also, it is impossible to be bad at it, so you can stop that thinking right there. And you could never disappoint me. Ever. As much as I adore the thought of us making passionate love to each other, all I really want is for us to be together.

I'm very glad that you told me all of this, and we should absolutely talk about it. We are married, despite what everyone else has to say about it. So please, Tiana, tell me if you are still worried, or if you have questions. Or if you have any other dirty thoughts that you wish to share with me. I would love to hear any and all of those.

I'll see you in my dreams tonight,

Naveen

* * *

To my Wonderful, Amazing, Extraordinary Husband Whom I am Extremely Proud of!

Naveen, words can't describe just how proud I am of you! I know I've said it before, but I'll say it a thousand more times if I have to, and if I know you, which I think I do, you won't tire of hearing it.

And it sounds like your parents are proud of you too! Which only makes me more proud! The only thing that could make this better is if we were together so we could celebrate properly. Since you're the party expert, I'd let you decide, of course, but I have some idea of how you'd like to do that.

As to what we were talking about before, I do have questions, but I'm not sure how to ask. Please be patient with me. I do feel a little better about all of it though. And I'm sure you'll like to hear that I'm having more dreams about you than ever.

I love you so much. Keep up the good work.

Proudly yours,

Tiana

* * *

_Mi sitara lu'seinn,_

After all this time can you believe that I actually managed to restore the burnt ballroom? Well, I did!

Oh, Tiana, I wish you could see it. I want to share this accomplishment with you so much. I never would have made it this far without your guidance, your patience, your teachings, and your love. Everything that I have managed to do here is in part because of you. That's why I am christening it  _Tiana's Ballroom._ Sounds catchy, yes?

Though, perhaps don't get too excited about it, as I might be the only one who calls it that. Still, know that it is all dedicated to you.

If only you could see it, though, my darling. Baba and Ammi were shocked to the core when I opened the doors for them to see. They can't stop smiling, and neither can I. Baba even slyly suggested that we have a small party to celebrate the completion of the project.

It was then my turn to be shocked because Baba hates parties! He only goes to them if it is absolutely necessary for him to be there. So the fact that he wants to have one at all, is some kind of miracle.

And guess what? The party is scheduled for tonight! Normally I would finish my letter to you after the party to tell you how it went, but the mail is scheduled to go out in the morning, and I don't want to miss the deadline. I have a feeling it is going to be a late night.

Not because of dancing though, so if you were getting jealous you don't have to. I don't want to dance with anyone except you. No, it is because Baba is planning on giving a speech, and I know he will mention me in it. Perhaps he wants to show me off? Or perhaps just the new room, but either way I know I will be answering a lot of questions.

I have to go, princess. It is time to get ready for everything.

I miss you. I'll be thinking of you all night. I wish you were here.

Love always,

Naveen

PS. TIANA. TIANA. It it is later. After the party. I can't. I can't think. I'm so happy. My hand is shaking and I am trying to steady it so the ink doesn't smear bUT I AM SO HAPPY. Oh my love I AM COMING BACK TO YOU!

Here, I switched to a pencil so maybe that will be better and I can explain what happened. My mind is all a whirl and I can hardly sit still.

Let me begin again.

Late into the party, Baba and Ammi took me aside to Baba's office. I was ready for another lecture, but then they began to say just how proud they are of me, and how differently I am acting now. Then they started to talk about you, and what a good influence you seem to have been on me. Ammi even mentioned how much she is enjoying your chess games and said that she hasn't enjoyed playing against someone as much in years.

And then they said that while they still weren't sure about our marriage, they did want to meet with you to discuss it. IN PERSON!

I won't lie. I broke down and wept, and now I am crying again.

My parents need to organize their schedules, and we need to look over the boat schedules and get our passports ready, so it will still be a few weeks but it is coming!

Soon you will be back in my arms and I can tell you all my thoughts instead of writing them in these horrid letters and I can kiss you again and again and again.

I am already counting the hours.

N


	15. Chapter 15

Tiana could see the ship in the distance, coming up the Mississippi River. It was coming, which meant he was coming. Her heart leapt in anticipation as her stomach swirled with anxiety. It felt foolish to be so happy and so nervous at the same time, yet here she was.

Tiana had hardly been able to sleep since Naveen had written to tell her the news of his return. They had been apart for six whole months, and once Tiana fully realized that was about to end, the wave of happiness that had washed over her had been almost too much to bear. She had laughed and cried and danced around her room, and then Tiana ran to find Eudora to share the news, and then there was more laughing and crying and dancing. Then of course, Tiana just had to tell Lottie and Louis, and that started it all over again.

It wasn't until late that evening when snuggled in bed rereading the letter for umpteenth time, that it dawned on her just what this meant. Yes Naveen would be back, and Tiana felt her insides jump at the thought, but he was also bringing his family. She would meet his parents for the first time.

Everything about their marriage depends on how well they liked her, Tiana foolishly convinced herself. And then she couldn't stop thinking: what if they didn't like her? What if she said something wrong? What if they came all this way and took one look at her and decided she wasn't fit to marry Naveen? That she wasn't fit to be a princess? Was she fit to be a princess?

Tiana clutched at her stomach and groaned. She knew this type of thinking wouldn't do her any good, but she also knew that there was no way to stop it. But Tiana's eyes went back to Naveen's letter and she saw his excited scribbles telling her how much he loved her and that he couldn't wait to be by her side once more. At that, Tiana had to smile again. Despite all her worries, it made her feel so much better that she wouldn't have to go through this alone. And if things worked out the way they hoped, she'd never be alone again.

Now, waiting on the rivershore, Tiana hugged herself, laughing a little as she watched the ship get closer. It wasn't close enough for her to see any of the people sailing, but it wouldn't be long before they could. The crowd around her was starting to be more animated, calling out and waving to passengers despite the fact that there was no way they could hear them.

Tiana shifted and decided that this wasn't a good spot to wait, and so she waded through the crowd once more. Admittedly, Tiana had already tried many different waiting spots this morning, and she also had no idea where would be the best place to make sure Naveen found her, but now that her nerves were flaring up again it felt good to move around.

She adjusted her dress as she nudged past a large group of people, wishing she had picked something different to wear. Tiana had wanted to look nice for Naveen, and also make a good impression on his parents. In doing so, she had picked out her best dress, which even though wasn't something outlandish or elegant, it did leave her feeling very overdressed compared to all those around her in their everyday wear.

Tiana wanted to explain to the crowd that she was meeting royalty and that's why she was dressed this way, but she guessed they either wouldn't believe her or they wouldn't care. Or, worst of all, they would get excited and try and take pictures or talk with the King and Queen, ruining any chance Tiana had of making a good impression. So she kept her mouth shut as she smoothed down her skirt.

Two loud blasts of the ship's horn blared out, and the crowd around Tiana burst into cheers and whistles as the passengers on the ship were finally close enough to see. At least it would be, if Tiana's eyes weren't flooded with tears.

Naveen was there! He was on that ship! And in less than an hour he would be here, with her. She would be in his arms and she could tell him just how much she loved him. Scratch that, she could show him. They would hold each other close and, knowing Naveen, they would kiss over and over. But she wanted that too, oh god how she wanted to kiss him!

Tiana wiped her tears away, not wanting Naveen to see her with tear stained eyes, and started to scan the happy faces all along the ship's railing. Unfortunately, this spot was terrible for that. Damn it! The last place she had stood was much better.

Now she wiggled through the crowd again, all the while looking up at the ship, but it was difficult to do that and not step on anyone's toes.

"Oops! Sorry!" Tiana apologized after bumping into someone. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea, and this spot seemed as good as any. So she settled herself in and resumed her search.

He had to be there along the railing, didn't he? Now that the boat was anchoring and readying the gangplank it struck Tiana just how big it was, and how many people were on it. Suddenly it seemed the most important thing in the world to be able to find Naveen. But just where was he?

"Please please please…." Tiana whispered to herself.

* * *

"Well, son, do you see her?"

Sunil rested a hand on Naveen's shoulder as they looked out over the ship's railing to the sea of people cheering and waving.

"No, Baba. Not yet."

'Tiana my love, where are you?' Naveen had naively thought that once the ship was close enough their eyes would be drawn to each other. It seemed only natural. She was the one thing he had been thinking of these past six months, and surely that thought power alone would draw her to him. But there were just too many people.

Naveen straightened his tie for the hundredth time today, feeling fidgety and nervous, and also angrily jealous at the people standing by him who had spotted their loved ones waiting for them down below.

What if she wasn't here? No, that was nonsense. Of course she was here. But still, Naveen worried. He straightened his tie again, then wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. Six months was a long time to be away from each other, and so much had happened. What if things were different between them now? What if that amazingly strong connection they had built hadn't survived this time apart?

If only he could just see her. Naveen knew the instant they saw each other again it would all be okay. It just had to be.

Naveen straightened his tie.

"Stop worrying, Naveen. You look wonderful," Idhal told him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Have you spotted her yet?"

"Not yet," Naveen said, looking over the crowd again. Where could she be?

* * *

Was that… could it be? At first Tiana wasn't sure, and not for the first time that day, she wished she had brought binoculars. She thought she saw someone who could be Naveen, and there were two people standing by him that seemed like they could also be his parents. But though Tiana's heart wanted it to be him more than anything, she wanted to be sure.

Then she saw this man straighten his tie and take off his hat and run his hand through his hair in such a casual yet elegant way that Tiana instantly recognized. And then his face turned towards her direction as he put his hat back on. He didn't see her yet, but by god, there he was. He was so beautiful, it was enough to make Tiana start to cry again.

"Naveen!" she called out through her tears. She waved her arms and jumped like the lovesick fool she was. "Naveen, over here!"

But there were too many people around her, there was no way he could hear her. Suddenly it seemed like the most important thing in the world was that he should find her. That they should lock eyes after six long months apart.

Tiana stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out a blaring whistle, louder than any she'd ever done before. But was it loud enough to carry to Naveen?

She started calling his name again, all the while repeating her manta.  _Please please please._

* * *

Naveen was growing panicky. He couldn't find her! What if he never found her? Sunil seemed to sense Naveen's growing unease, and had his arm around his son's shoulders.

"Is that someone whistling?" Idhal asked, shielding the sun from her eyes and looking deeper into the crowd.

"It does sound like it," Sunil said, giving Naveen's shoulder a squeeze. "Impressive."

It was at that, but how did it help him find Tiana? Naveen's stomach was so tied up in knots he thought he might die if he didn't see her soon. Still, he couldn't help but turn towards the sound, and then Naveen blinked. His heart skipped a beat. Could it be?

Even from here he could recognize those beautiful bright eyes and wide smile, and Naveen just knew that surrounding that smile were two dimples on her cheeks. It was her. His wife. His Tiana.

"Tiana!" Naveen called out, finding his eyes were now stinging with tears, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was getting close to her, but the ship was still readying the gangplank. Naveen was tired of waiting, and the part of his brain that made stupid decisions decided it would be a great idea to just jump off the boat and swim to her.

Naveen called her name again and started to climb over the railing.

" _Faldi faldonza, Naveen! Da li descende!"_ Sunil grabbed the back of Naveen's shirt and pulled him back to safety.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Idhal scolded him.

Naveen ignored them both, having eyes and ears only for the love of his life. "There she is!" Naveen said happily and pointed her out to his parents. "Tiana! Tiana!"

He took off his hat and waved it high in the air. Tiana waved back and Naveen thought he would burst with happiness. Setting his hat back on his head, Naveen started to blow her kisses as he edged his way closer to the gangplank. He wanted to make sure he was the first one off.

"Stay there!" He shouted to Tiana. "I'll come find you!"

* * *

"What?" Tiana shouted back, but she was laughing through it all. This goof of a man she had married had almost jumped off the ship to get to her, and she loved him for it.

Naveen was shouting more things and pointing but Tiana had no idea what he was saying and she was too excited to try and rationally figure it out. All she knew was that she needed to get closer.

* * *

Naveen was losing his patience with this man. All he needed to do was look over his tickets and make sure it was all in order and then he could be off the boat and holding and kissing his wife. But damn it if this wasn't the slowest person to be doing this job.

Naveen wanted nothing more than to shout at this man to hurry up and get on with it, but he had a feeling if he did anything to upset the man, Naveen would be moved to the back of the line.

So instead Naveen gave him his most charming attentive smile, all the while glancing furtively in the crowd making sure he knew exactly where Tiana was at all times. For a brief moment he panicked when he couldn't find her again, but then he found her inching her way closer to the gangplank.

The crowd was too thick for her to go much further. No matter. Naveen knew he could ease his way through, if only he could get off this damned ship!

"Well now, Prince Naveen, is it?"

"Yes, that's right," Naveen said with a smile, though behind that smile he was shooting daggers at this man.

"It says here this is your second time in New Orleans. Isn't that something?"

And just how was Naveen supposed to respond to that? GET ON WITH IT MAN! "Yes, it certainly is," Naveen replied as calmly as he could. He looked out and saw Tiana in the crowd. She was closer now. Almost close enough to kiss. He winked at her, and her smile grew wider.

"Any particular reason for the return trip?"

"Love," Naveen said, not taking his eyes off of Tiana.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I fell in love with someone and she is waiting for me." Naveen pointed Tiana out, and then continued. "So if you could please…. We've been apart for so long."

"Well why didn't you say so in the first place?" He stamped Naveen's papers with a flourish and then handed them back. "There you are. Enjoy."

"Thank you!" Naveen could practically kiss the man, but he wanted to save those for Tiana.

Naveen sprinted down the gangplank, grinning from ear to ear, as he called out. "Tiana!"

"Naveen!"

He could hear her! And then he could see her! They were both wading through the crowd, arms outstretched towards each other.

"Tiana!"

"Naveen!"

Finally the crowds parted and there she was. He ran to her, and then she was in his arms, and then as they held each other tight, they kissed.

Naveen could taste the salt of her tears on her lips (or were they his tears?) but he couldn't stop kissing her.

He pressed kiss after hurried kiss everywhere he could, whispering her name all the while. He kissed those sweet dimples, he kissed her tears away, he kissed her nose, her forehead, and most of all her lips. He had missed it all so much, and now that he was here with her again, Naveen knew he would never ever leave her again.

They shared another kiss, longer this time, and Naveen felt his happiness bubble up. He laughed and held her tight and spun them both around. Tiana squealed in delight, clutching him, feeling like she was flying.

Naveen set her down gently and then cupped her face, bringing her in for another kiss. "I missed you," he said between kisses.

"I missed you too, Froggy," Tiana said, giggling when he kissed her cheek and then down her neck.

He gave squeezed her tight and then pulled back a little, breathless but so happy. "Let me get a good look at you," he said, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear.

It was then that in all the commotion, she would hardly be as presentable to him as she had been when she left the house that morning.

"Oh no," Tiana laughed and playfully covered his eyes. "My hair is a mess now, and my dress is all wrinkles, and I'm sure my eyes are all red from crying. I must look like a disaster."

Naveen took the hand that was covering his eyes and kissed it. "I didn't come all this way to  _not_ look at you. Besides," he stroked her cheek, "you are the most beautiful disaster I have ever seen."

Tiana snorted, despite herself, but she couldn't stop smiling. It was so lovely to have him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, Naveen. I do love you so."

Naveen grinned wide at that, and scooped down to pick her up in his arms. "She loves me!" He declared to all those around them as he spun them around in circles again.

There were more kisses when he set her back on her feet, but Tiana didn't loosen her tight grip on him.

"I love you too, Tiana," Naveen told her, and brought their foreheads together. "I love you more than anything else in the whole world, and I promise I will never ever leave you again."

Naveen sealed his promise with another kiss, and soon their arms were wrapped around each other once more. He couldn't get enough of her. Her taste, her smell, the way she was giggling into their kisses. She was just so perfect, and kissing her this way was perfect. Or it would be if they weren't interrupted.

"Looks like you found her alright, Naveen," Idhal said.

Naveen groaned inwardly. ' _Not now, Ammi!'_ But it was too late. Idhal had effectively ruined the mood. Plus Tiana had already pulled away and had her face covered with her hands. God but she was cute when she was embarrassed.

Naveen put an arm around Tiana's waist, needing to keep touching her in anyway possible, and finally took his eyes off of her to find Idhal with an eyebrow raised, and Sunil spotting a sly smirk. Well, it could be worse.

"Ammi. Baba." Naveen pulled Tiana closer to his side. "I'd like you to meet Tiana. Tiana, these are… my parents."

Tiana could not have been more mortified Naveen's parents, the King and Queen of Maldonia, had caught her necking with their son. This was not the first impression she wanted to give them.

Naveen gave her a squeeze around the waist, and Tiana put on her best 'please ignore what you just saw I swear I'm not like that all the time' smile and curtsied respectfully. "Your Majesties. I'm so happy to finally meet you."

"It is very lovely to meet you, my dear," Idhal said, and surprised Tiana by giving her three kisses on the cheek.

Sunil stayed back and gave a more formal bow, but he still smiled.

Naveen grinned through it all. This was going well!

"Now, there's no need to be so formal while we're here, is there?" Idhal continued. "After all, we're not in Maldonia anymore, and isn't this what America is all about?"

Tiana shared a furtive glance with Naveen before replying. "Um-"

"You can call me Idhal," she said, not waiting for Tiana's answer. "And my husband is Sunni, but you already knew that."

Tiana blinked. No she didn't. "Sunni?" Oh no. That wasn't what she thought his name was. That wasn't what it said in that Maldonian history book either! Oh no, oh no. Had she used the wrong name in her letters to him?

"It's a nickname," Sunil explained, perhaps sensing Tiana's distress. "Used only by close friends and relatives."

"Oh!" Tiana's heart felt a million times lighter. This had to be a good sign. Did this mean he already considered her part of the family?

Naveen squeezed her waist again. "It's because of Baba's shining personality and his great sense of humor," he teased.

"Hey now," Sunil playfully put his hands on his hips. "I'll have you know I do have a great sense of humor, and I know plenty of great jokes"

"Darling please, don't-" Idhal begged, but Sunil persisted.

"How many apples grow on a tree?" he asked.

Tiana glanced again at Naveen who was rolling his eyes. She laughed and shook her head. "I don't know."

"All of them!" Sunil said, and then bent over with laughter.

Tiana snorted and laughed into her hand.

"Don't laugh at that, Tiana," Idhal said in good humor. "That was terrible."

Tiana turned to Naveen, and playfully bumped his hips with hers. "Now I know where you get your sense of humor from."

Now it was Naveen's turn to look embarrassed, but he deflected easily. "Ravi, come here and say hello."

The young prince was standing a few feet away holding hands with his governess, watching the other people leave the boat and the cranes beginning to unload the heavier items. Naveen still couldn't believe they had brought over so many of their servants, including the governess to watch over Ravi, but here they were.

At Naveen's call Ravi glanced up at the governess who nodded in approval. He let go of her hand and shuffled over.

Tiana knelt down and held out her hand to the young prince. "Hello, Ravi. I'm Tiana. It's so nice to finally meet you."

Ravi shifted on his feet and limply took Tiana's hand.

"What do you say, Ravi?" Naveen prompted.

Ravi scrunched up his face. "Please?"

"No, try again," Naveen said.

"Thank you?" Ravi tried after a moment.

"How about, it's nice to meet you, too," Naveen said.

"Yeah, what he said!" Ravi smiled at last, and then took his chance to run back to the governess.

Naveen just shook his head and helped Tiana to stand up. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's fine," Tiana said, and kissed Naveen's cheek. She felt so happy. Nothing could ruin her mood.

One of the servants came up to their circle and bowed. "Your Majesties, the car is ready to take you to your hotel."

Except that.

Sunil clapped his hands. "Splendid, splendid. I just hope the ride is an improvement over the last time I rode in a car."

"I doubt it will break down," Idhal said. "We don't have that far to go." She turned to Tiana and smiled again. "We're still on for dinner tonight, yes?"

When Naveen had written to say he was coming back, Tiana had replied saying she wanted to host a dinner party for them all on the night of their arrival. She and Eudora had been cleaning constantly for the past week to get everything ready.

Tiana confirmed that, yes, the dinner would still take place, and Sunil nodded in approval.

"Naveen has told us about your passion for cooking," he said. "I am very interested to finally try it for myself."

"Yes, me too," Idhal said. "What is on the menu?"

"Gumbo," Tiana said, glancing at Naveen. "With plenty of mushrooms."

Naveen thought he would burst with joy, but instead he just took Tiana's hand in his and kissed it.

"Well, sounds like we should leave you to prepare," Sunil said. "Let's go, Naveen."

"Go? But…" Naveen looked from his parents to Tiana and then back again with a pleading look. He had only been with Tiana for a such a short time, and to leave her again so soon would be torture. {" _Please, Baba?"_ }, Naveen asked in Maldonian.

"The car is waiting, Naveen," Sunil answered, but he softened slightly. "You have five minutes."

They turned and left Tiana and Naveen alone at last. At least as alone as they could be on the still crowded pier. That didn't stop Naveen from kissing her once more.

Tiana laughed and held him tight. "Did I do okay?"

"You were amazing!" Naveen told her. "I just knew they would love you as soon as they met you, and that went so well!"

"Did it?" Tiana covered her face again. "I can't believe they caught us kissing like that."

"They understand," Naveen assured her. "They know how much I've missed you. _"_ And then he kissed her again, slower this time, lingering happily on her lips. "I wish I didn't have to go so soon."

"I know. But I'll see you tonight for dinner," Tiana said. Her arms had wrapped around his neck again and she was playing with his collar. "We'll have beignets for dessert," she added in a sing-song voice.

Naveen brightened at that. "I can't wait to taste your sweet beignets again." He pecked her lips. "Though nothing can be as sweet as you."

"You charmer," Tiana laughed.

"I do my best." And then he kissed her again, until Sunil came and dragged Naveen away to the car.

* * *

"You nervous, babycakes?" Eudora asked.

Tiana stopped chewing on her thumbnail. "Is it that obvious?"

Eudora gave her a soft smile. "A little bit."

Tiana took a shaky breath willing herself to be calm. It didn't work. "I know I met them this morning, but this feels different." She wrapped her arms around herself, and said softly. "So much could go wrong."

Eudora took Tiana by the shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "So much can go right, too."

Tiana had to smile at that. Trust her mother to look on the bright side of things.

"You've wanted a chance to prove yourself to them, and now you've got it," Eudora said. "I know you'll do great."

"Thanks Mama," Tiana said and hugged her mother tight. "I know I've asked a lot of you lately, but can I ask one more favor?"

"Of course, babycakes."

"Can you not tell any embarrassing stories tonight?" Tiana asked. "Please?"

Eudora feigned innocence. "Me? Tell embarrassing stories?"

"Mama please," Tiana begged. "Just for tonight?"

"Alright fine," Eudora said. "I'll wait until tomorrow."

* * *

"And please no embarrassing stories," Naveen begged to his parents as they and Ravi walked up the porch steps to Tiana's house.

"We never tell embarrassing stories," Idhal chided.

"Yes you do! You do it all the time," Naveen said, his hand once more going to his stomach. He wondered if he was going to be sick from nerves. He just wanted this night to be over.

On the one hand, he would get to see Tiana again and taste her delicious food. All of which he had been dreaming about for the past six months. But whenever those delightful fantasies had entered his head, Naveen had never included his family in them.

Naveen felt like he had been lecturing his parents the whole way here. It was a strange role reversal for all of them but Naveen wanted tonight to be perfect and he knew his parents could cause a lot of problems.

When had they ever eaten a meal with no servants? Had they ever done that before? When was the last time they had even spoken to anyone who wasn't part of high society? Would they judge Tiana by the plain simple house she lived in?

It struck Naveen that these worries were all ones Tiana had had that very first night they had returned to New Orleans from the bayou on the eve of their wedding. Naveen had immediately loved everything about Tiana's life because it was a part of her. He hoped that his family would be able to see that as well.

"No embarrassing stories tonight," Sunil promised. "We'll save them for later."

"Thank you," Naveen said, ignoring this last part. He looked down at Ravi who was holding his hand. "That goes for you too, Ravi."

"Okay," Ravi promised, though Naveen doubted he was listening.

Naveen knelt down to look at Ravi in the eyes. "Can you promise me you'll be on your best behavior tonight?"

Ravi shrugged. "I guess."

"Please, Ravi. Tiana is very special to me, and this night needs to go well." Ravi was generally a well behaved boy, but sometimes he did have wild tantrums. If that happened tonight, his parents wouldn't blame Tiana for it, but it surely would leave a sour impression on them, and Naveen couldn't afford any slip ups tonight.

Ravi shrugged again. "Okay."

Deciding that was the best he was going to get from a five year old, Naveen sighed and kissed his brother on the forehead. "Thank you."

"Anything else, Naveen?" Idhal asked, eyebrow raised.

Anything else? He had a million more things to tell them, but they were outside Tiana's door now, and couldn't dawdle any longer. "Just, please go easy on Tiana."

He knew how ruthless his parents could be sometimes. Naveen would try to protect Tiana as much as he could but there was only so much he could do.

"All we want is to get to know her," Sunil said, knocking firmly on the door. "We'll just ask some questions."

"Sensible questions, please," Naveen begged. His parents could also be completely tactless.

"As if we ever ask anything else," Idhal said, furthering Naveen's fear.

Naveen clutched his stomach once more, and he sent out prayers to anyone who was listening that the evening would go well.

And then the door opened and Tiana was there, and everything else melted away.

"Hello, everyone," Tiana said, grinning.

Naveen grinned back, especially when he noticed she was smiling more in his direction.

"Hello, beautiful," Naveen said and kissed her cheek once he was close enough to her.

"You're not so bad, yourself," Tiana said, squeezing his arm. It was so nice to have him here again. The house seemed full of life again, and not just because they were hosting a dinner party.

"There he is! Hello Naveen!" Eudora said gleefully, and pulled Naveen into a tight hug. "We missed you around here."

"I missed you too, Mrs. Batiste," Naveen said, squeezing her tight. He quickly introduced Eudora to his parents, but she was more interested in Ravi.

"And who is this?" Eudora asked, kneeling down to Ravi's eye level.

"This is my brother, Ravi," Naveen said, and rested his hand on the boy's head. "Ravi, say hello."

"Hello," Ravi mumbled, and half heartedly took Eudora's hand when she offered it to him.

"Hello there, Ravi," Eudora said. "I'm Eudora. How old are you?"

"I'm five and three-quarters."

"Oh my goodness," Eudora said and shared a smile with Idhal and Sunil who looked both proud and amused. "Well, I heard you were coming so I got out all of Tiana's old toys for you to play with."

At this Ravi perked up. "Really?"

"You come with me," Eudora said. She held out her hand once more, but this time Ravi eagerly took it, and they went over to the corner with all of Tiana's old toys.

Tiana had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Eudora had always loved children, hence why she was always pestering Tiana for grandchildren. It didn't surprise Tiana one bit that her mother had taken to Ravi.

She turned to Naveen's parents. "Can I offer you some iced tea to drink?"

"You must try it, Ammi," Naveen pipped in, wrapping his arm around Tiana's waist. "It's so refreshing. Unlike anything in Maldonia."

"Well, with that winning endorsement, I think I'll have to," Idhal replied. "Any for you, Sunni?"

Sunil smoothed down his mustache and grinned. "With all that Naveen has told us, I think I would be a fool not to."

Naveen gave Tiana a squeeze and her heart skipped a beat. It was hard to concentrate on being a good hostess with him being so near, but his presence was so lovely, she couldn't ask him to stop, nor did she want him to.

"Great," Tiana said, unconsciously leaning into Naveen. "Please take a seat, and I'll be back with your drinks."

"I'll help you," Naveen said quickly. Almost too quickly.

But Tiana's heart skipped another beat. He knew there wasn't much he could do to help pour some iced tea, but his parents didn't know that. This could give them a few blessed moments alone.

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that," Tiana said.

The swinging door to the kitchen hadn't even fully closed before they were in each other's arms and kissing deeply. Tiana sighed into the kiss, feeling herself relax into Naveen's embrace. She hadn't realized just how tense she had been, or had just forgotten how good Naveen was at kissing….

That seemed impossible, but as he teased her with his tongue, Tiana found her knees were weak and her head was light and everything else seemed to disappear.

Though the sounds from the next room brought them both back.

Reluctantly, they broke the kiss, though neither stepped out of their embrace. Naveen's arms were steady around Tiana's waist, and she was clutching his shirt like she might collapse any second.

Panting hard, Naveen laughed softly and rubbed his nose against Tiana's. "I've been wanting to do that since I walked in."

"Me too," Tiana replied. She grinned when he kissed her again. They couldn't keep this up for much longer, but gosh it was nice.

Someone was laughing in the other room, Ravi it sounded like, and Tiana remembered why Naveen's family was here in the first place.

"How am I doing so far?" Tiana asked, feeling her nerves bubble up again slightly.

Naveen gave a low appreciative hum as he started kissing her neck. She giggled which only spurred him on. Everything about her was so wonderful. Naveen wished they could spend the rest of the evening here, and not worry about anything else. They had been apart for so long, didn't they deserve time to be alone together?

"I meant, how am I doing with your parents," Tiana clarified, but she cradled the back of his head, inviting him to keep kissing her as he pleased.

So he did. "I think they already love you," Naveen said between kisses. He pressed his forehead to hers and smiled. "Though not as much as I do."

"You really think so?"

"What's not to love?" Naveen asked. "You're smart, capable, beautiful." He lowered his eyes at that last one, and Tiana felt herself flush. Nobody else gave her compliments quite like Naveen did. She hadn't realized how much she had missed them.

Tiana gave him a quick peck on the lips, and said, "They won't love me if they never get their drinks." She put a finger against his nose playfully. "Help me bring them out, hmm?"

"Alright," Naveen said. "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"One more kiss before we go back out there."

"Gladly."

* * *

Naveen felt like he was falling in love with Tiana all over again. It was so wonderful to finally be here by her side again. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she talked with his parents. She was charming, and animated as she listened to them tell stories Naveen had heard hundreds of times before. Luckily they were just stories about Maldonia, nothing embarrassing. Though he could tell his mother desperately wanted to share the many unflattering stories of his childhood.

But it was Tiana's smile and laughter that drew him in. How had he lasted six months without her? How had he possibly survived without hearing her voice? Without touching her skin? Without kissing her?

He wanted to kiss her right then and there, but even Naveen knew that wouldn't be a good idea. This dinner was supposed to be about impressing his parents, and he doubted they would be impressed if he started passionately kissing Tiana in front of everyone.

That didn't stop him from taking every opportunity to touch her. He made sure their fingers would brush when he handed Tiana her drink. When they sat next to each other, his elbow would nudge against hers. His arm would find its way around her shoulders, her waist. His hand would find hers, holding it tenderly, stroking it with his thumb.

It was electrifying to touch her, and even more so when she touched him back. The way she squeezed his hand, or leaned into him made it difficult to think of anything other than taking another trip to the kitchen. And then there were those many shared mutual looks of longing whenever it seemed his parents attention was on something else.

How many trips to the kitchen could they make before everyone got suspicious? Maybe a few times, if they were careful.

So when Tiana announced it was time for dinner to be served, Naveen couldn't help the excitement that burst through him. She would need help serving the gumbo, wouldn't she?

Just like with the tea, she didn't need any help, but she still welcomed it from Naveen's. This time though, there wasn't time to kiss as much as Naveen wanted to. They were only able to manage one kiss. Just one! But the looks in both of their eyes hinted at the promise of many future kisses to come.

Naveen wanted to hold Tiana's hand while they ate, so he sat on her right side once the gumbo was served. His mouth watered just looking at it. It felt like he hadn't had a decent meal in… well, six months. It almost made him weep knowing Tiana's food was in front of him.

"It smells delicious, darling," Naveen said, giving her hand a squeeze under the table. Everything was going so well! Naveen was almost positive that his parents would approve of their marriage by the end of the evening. Or maybe even after the meal! How could they not love Tiana, especially after eating her wonderful food?

"Thanks," Tiana said, squeezing his hand back. "Dig in, everyone."

She couldn't help but feel nervous as everyone ate her food. Tiana knew, of course, that it was good. She'd never made a bad batch of gumbo in her life, but that didn't mean Naveen's family would like it. She told herself that if they didn't like it, that didn't mean they liked her any less. And they did like her, didn't they?

Tiana's fork was poised by her mouth, as she anxiously watched everyone eat. Naveen hummed in approval as he ate, even going so far as to lean back and close his eyes with a blissful smile on his face. He turned towards her and gave her a satisfied grin.

"Good?" Tiana asked.

"Amazing," Naveen replied, squeezing her hand.

Then the choruses of compliments started around the table, and Tiana felt a wave of relief wash over her.

" _Achidanza,"_  Sunil whispered after taking a bite. "This is…" He looked at Tiana with wonder and awe. "You made this?"

"Yes, I did," Tiana said, pride welling up inside as Naveen gave her hand another squeeze.

"I told you it was good," Naveen said.

"Good?" Idhal pipped in. "This is better than good. This is the best meal I've ever eaten." She took another bite, before continuing. "You should count yourself lucky, Tiana, because I don't give out compliments lightly."

"That certainly is true," Naveen said, teasingly.

"Tiana has been making gumbo like this since she was about five years old," Eudora said, proudly.

Tiana felt herself flush with the attention, and turned her focus to her own meal. It was a good batch. "What do you think, Ravi? Do you like it?"

The young boy had been so intent on eating his meal, he turned to look at Tiana and grinned. "Can you make this for us every day?"

Everyone at the table laughed good naturedly.

"Tiana has to stay here so that she can open her dream restaurant," Naveen explained. "But I'm sure she will be happy to make some whenever you come to visit."

Sunil cleared his throat and wiped his mouth with his napkin. Tiana was given a hint of the kind of power and respect Sunil radiated as king, as all murmurs around the table ceased, even from Ravi, and all attention went to him.

"Perhaps it is time we discussed the elephant in the room," Sunil said.

Ravi's eyes widened. "You have an elephant?!"

Sunil frowned at his youngest son, not in the mood for games. Ravi paled and sunk down in his chair.

"Apologize to your father, Ravi," Idhal said, "and then you can be excused to play."

"Sorry, Baba," Ravi said.

Sunil nodded, and Ravi took his chance and escaped from the table.

Part of Tiana wished she could escape with him. With Sunil's full attention on her and Naveen, Tiana felt her stomach drop and she clutched Naveen's hand like a lifeline, feeling herself start to tremble and shake. She could feel her mother's encouragement from across the table, but Tiana didn't dare take her eyes off of Sunil.

"Now then, Naveen. Tiana." He looked at each of them in turn. "You two wish to be married, yes?"

"Yes, sir," Naveen replied.

Tiana's mouth was suddenly too dry to speak. She nodded instead.

"Quite a noble aspiration," Sunil said with a small but warm smile.

"It's very clear that you two are in love," Idhal said. "Even in this short amount of time since arriving here it is plain to see how much you care for each other."

Was this a good sign? Naveen gave her hand another squeeze.

"But Naveen is the crown prince," Sunil said, "and will one day be king. There is a lot for us to consider for anyone he wishes to marry."

"Please don't think that we are treating you any differently because you're not royalty, dear," Idhal said. "But it does make things more difficult. You understand."

Tiana supposed she did understand, but that didn't make her feel any better about it. She and Eudora shared a quick glance at each other. Neither of them could guess where this was going.

"If we do approve of the marriage," Sunil continued, "that means you will effectively become a Maldonian princess." He looked at Tiana directly. "It is a lot of responsibility."

"Yes, sir," Tiana said, finding her voice at last. "I'm not afraid of that."

"No, I don't suppose you are," Sunil said.

"And you will, of course, have to live in Maldonia," Idhal said, smoothing down her napkin.

It seemed that Tiana, Naveen, and Eudora all exclaimed at once. "What?"

Idhal took it smoothly. "Well of course. A princesses job is to provide for her people. You can't do that from halfway around the world."

It seemed like everything was crumbling around Tiana, and at the same time how could she not have seen this coming? Of course she couldn't be princess of Maldonia while living in New Orleans! But the thought of leaving everything she had ever known behind was unthinkable. Yes she would be with Naveen, but what about Mama? What about Lottie and Louis? What about….

"What about my restaurant?" Tiana asked bluntly terrified of the response.

Sunil shifted in his seat and cleared his throat again. Just that reaction told her everything. ' _No. No this couldn't be happening,'_  she thought _. 'Not again.'_

"Well, you see Tiana," Sunil said, "if you are a princess you'll effectively be one of the top tiers of the government. As such, you… well, I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to own a restaurant."

"That's crazy!" Naveen shouted. Tiana could feel his indignation radiating off of him, but everything seemed to be getting further away. Her breath was quickening and it seemed to be getting darker. Was she going to faint? Oh god.

"It's the law," Idhal said with a frown. "It's a conflict of interest, you see. Without the law anyone could just funnel government funds into their own pockets."

Tiana was feeling light headed now. Oh god, she really was going to faint wasn't she? She concentrated on her breathing, holding Naveen's hand tightly.

"Tiana would never do that," Eudora said, when Tiana didn't speak up.

"I understand," Sunil said, "but it's still the law."

"So change it," Naveen said firmly. "We have that power."

"We can't just change whatever law is inconvenient for us at the time," Idhal said. "It doesn't work like that."

"Well then what's the point!?" Naveen practically shouted.

"Don't raise your voice that way," Sunil said. "I thought we had moved past arguing like this."

"Not when it means Tiana has to give up her dream!" Naveen said. He turned to Tiana and said, "Don't worry, I… are you alright?"

"Babycakes, you don't look so good," Eudora said, sitting up straighter in her chair.

Naveen couldn't believe he hadn't noticed how heavily she was breathing, how the blood seemed to have drained from her face, how tightly she was clutching his hand.

"Tiana?" Naveen asked softly.

"I-" Tiana swallowed and tried again. "I think I need some air."

Eudora immediately stood up and lead Tiana outside.

Naveen turned towards his parents. He too had thought that they were finished arguing like this, that his anger towards them would have subsided now that he was here with Tiana. But apparently he'd been wrong.

{" _How could you say that to her_?"} Naveen asked in Maldonian. {" _I asked you to go easy on her_."}

{" _This_ _ **is**_ _easy_ ,"} Idhal said. {" _Do you want to see hard_?}"

Naveen frowned. He knew what hard looked like. {" _Why did you have to go and say that to her?_ "}

{" _We simply told her the truth_ ,"} Sunil stated, and spooned up the rest of his gumbo.

{" _And you didn't think to mention it sooner?_ "} Naveen asked.

{" _You think it's up to us to tell you all of Maldonia's laws?_ "} Idhal asked.

{ _"This is something you should have known anyway, Naveen,_ "} Sunil said. {" _By now you should be well versed in all the laws and customs of Maldonia. I can see now just how seriously you are taking this responsibility…._ "}

Naveen felt his anger rise. It was just like them to turn this around on him, even if it was partly his own fault. {" _Look. I'm sorry I'm not your perfect prince, okay? I'm trying to be better, I really am. But you have to understand. You just told Tiana that she can't have the dream she's been working for her whole life."}_

{ _"Naveen…"_ }

{" _No, listen,"_ } Naveen cut off his father. { _"You don't know how hard she has worked for it. How many obstacles she has faced to get it, or how many times she has heard that she can't do it. But she can and she will."_ }

{" _More than anyone I have ever met, Tiana deserves for her dream to come true,"_ } Naveen continued. {" _You tasted her food. You can see how gifted she is with it. Don't you think she should be able to share that gift with the world?"_ }

{" _Naveen, of course we see that,"_ } Idhal said.{ _"But it's still the law, and Tiana has the right to know what will happen if we decide to bless your marriage."_ }

{" _Which we haven't done by the way,"_ } Sunil clarified.

{" _Yes. I know,"_ } Naveen said softly. He sighed and stood from his seat. {" _If you'll excuse me. I need to check on Tiana."_ }

He left without waiting for their approval.

* * *

"Deep breaths, babycakes. That's it."

Tiana sat on the porch swing with her head between her knees while Eudora gently rubbed her back. She tried to concentrate on the steady in and out of her breathing, but her mind inevitably drifted to the conversation at the dinner table. Was this really what was happening? Did this really mean that if she married Naveen she wouldn't be able to have her restaurant?

The words Sunil had said kept repeating themselves in Tiana's mind, and the unfairness of it all struck her hard. She wanted to kick the door open and storm back inside and give Naveen's parents a piece of her mind. How dare they ask her to choose between her dream and the love of her life? Because that's what they were basically saying, you can have one or the other, but you can't have both.

Tiana concentrated on her breathing instead, trying not to let her anger over the situation make her more light headed than she already was. How could they not have mentioned this to her before? Did Naveen know about this law? Tiana dismissed that idea immediately. If he had known, he would have told her. He hated keeping secrets from her, and of course Naveen knew how important her restaurant was.

So then it was just something his parents knew. Even though Tiana didn't know Naveen's family very well, this still surprised her that they would spring it on them all this way. After so many letters written to Idhal, the queen would have had plenty of opportunities to let Tiana know about the law. Maybe they thought she and Naveen already knew about it? Whatever the reason, Tiana wasn't going to spend a lot of time thinking about it.

They could all laugh about this later, when everything was solved and they were all sitting around her restaurant and Naveen, as her husband was by her side.

Because there was no way in hell that Tiana was going to lose either of those things, law be damned. The Shadow Man had shown her what her restaurant would be like without Naveen, and these past six months had given her a taste of what life without him would be like. Tiana never wanted to experience either again.

Tiana took a deep breath and sat up, holding a hand to her forehead as the dizziness faded.

"Are you feeling better?" Eudora asked.

"A little," Tiana said.

The front door opened and Naveen poked his head out. "You're looking better," he said, stepping out to join them on the porch. "I brought you some water."

"Thank you," Tiana said, taking the cup from him. The water tasted cold and refreshing, and it helped clear her head, what little good that did at the moment.

"I'll leave you two alone," Eudora said and stepped back inside.

Tiana had a feeling her mother was going to give Naveen's parents some sort of lecture about how they couldn't talk to Tiana that way, royalty or not. Part of Tiana wanted to see it, but she wasn't ready to go inside yet.

Naveen sat down next to her on the porch swing and took the empty cup from Tiana's hands, setting it aside. "Come here," he said gently and opened his arms to her.

Tiana gladly rested her head on his shoulder as his arms circled around her, holding her tight. It felt so nice to be in his arms like this. Naveen was very good at hugging, and she'd missed that so much when he had been gone. Now all Tiana had to do was make sure he never left like that again.

He peppered her with kisses as he rubbed her back softly. "Are you alright, my love?" he asked quietly after a moment.

Tiana sighed and nestled herself further into his embrace. "I'm alright now."

"Good." He kissed her temple again. "I'm so sorry about all of that," Naveen said, resting his head on top of hers. "I didn't know about the law, and I should have. Even so, my parents shouldn't have brought it up like that. They can be very forthright, sometimes in the worst possible ways. I'm sure you've noticed by now."

"Yes, I've noticed," she said.

Naveen kissed her again, moving to her forehead and then her cheek. Kissing her helped keep his anger at bay, and he was angry. He was angry at his parents, angry at Maldonia, angry about this whole situation. But still, even beyond all those other feelings, Naveen was also growing afraid.

Even though his parents still hadn't approved of their marriage, they had effectively given Tiana a choice - him, or her restaurant. Every scenario that ran through his head only made him tremble more with fear.

Could he really live with himself if Tiana gave up her dream for him? Every day he would have to face the knowledge that such an important part of her hopes and dreams would be gone. Yes they would be together, but at what cost?

Then on the other hand, after knowing what it was like to live without her, Naveen felt like he might die if he had to do that for the rest of his life. Of course he would be happy that her dream was fulfilled, but there would always be a part of him that would wish he could have helped her get there.

It was a horrible feeling of deja vu. He had felt this way when they were still frogs. That night on the riverboat when he had wanted to propose to her. Their circumstances were much different now than they had been, and yet the promise Naveen had made to her that night echoed in his head. ' _I promise, I will do whatever it takes to make your dream come true.'_

He couldn't break that promise. Much as it pained him, he knew he had to let her go. Even the thought was heartbreaking, and he felt his breath grow shaky as he breathed in to speak. But breathing in this close to her meant breathing  _her_ in as well. The scent of her drove him crazy, and Naveen shivered with longing.

He had dreamt of her for so long, how was he supposed to say goodbye? This was even worse than when he had left before, as he knew for sure that this was the end. Naveen kissed her cheek again, letting his lips linger longer that he probably should have. But he needed to savor every moment.

At last he drew another breath. "Tiana, I love you so much," he said softly and stroking her hair. "But I could never ask you to give up your dream."

Tiana tried to pull back, but Naveen held her firm against his chest. Much as he wanted to look at her beautiful face, he was afraid of what he would find there. It seemed easier to talk without looking at her.

"And with this law…" Naveen cleared his throat and swallowed hard. He was getting choked up. Taking another shaky breath he continued. "I don't know if there is a way around it."

"Naveen." Tiana successfully pulled back this time, but Naveen avoided her gaze, still unable to look at her.

"Please Tiana, don't talk me out of this. It's hard enough as it is." His voice was shaky now too.

Tiana clutched his hands. "Naveen, no!"

He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them sweetly. "I don't know how we can be together and for you to have your dream," he said. A tear escaped and Naveen brushed it away quickly. "I couldn't live with myself knowing I'd taken it away from you."

Tiana cupped his face and turned him towards her, but when his eyes still wouldn't meet hers, she brought their lips together instead.

If the kiss surprised Naveen he didn't show it, and soon their hands were clutching each other as the kiss intensified, full of the desire they had held at bay for so long. It felt so wonderful to be kissing her this way. Naveen wanted to go on kissing her forever, he wanted to pull her into his lap and hold her tight, he wanted to lie her down and make love to her right then and there.

He wanted to do many things, but none of them involved Tiana breaking their kiss. When she did just that Naveen cried out and tried to pull her back, but she only came close enough to touch her forehead to his.

Breathing hard, Naveen finally met Tiana's gaze.

"Do you remember," she said, breathless, "what I said to you before midnight on Mardi Gras?"

Naveen tried to catch his breath as he combed through his memories. Mardi Gras seemed like years ago, but then it started to come back. Mardi Gras was when the night they tried to break the spell, and he had been going to kiss Charlotte to do it.

"You told me you loved me," Naveen whispered, trembling at the memory of that first time she had said those words to him. Of all the times she had said it since.

Tiana nodded and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I also said that my dream isn't complete without you in it," she said. "I meant it then, and I mean it now."

"Oh, Tiana."

She kissed him again, loving the way he kissed her back. "I think we can both agree that these past six months have been torture."

Naveen huffed out a short laugh. "That's putting it mildly."

"I can't go through that again."

He nuzzled against her softly. "Me either.

"I can't give up my dream though."

"I told you, I would never-"

Tiana placed a finger over his lips. "I know."

Naveen kissed her finger, her palm, her wrist, making her shiver despite the hot humid air. "So what do you propose we do then?"

"I don't know exactly," Tiana said, giggling as Naveen started kissing up her arm. "I don't know enough about Maldonia to say for certain. But I think we'll have to fight for it. For us, and for the restaurant. If you're willing, that is."

Naveen had kissed his way up to her neck now, and had wrapped his arms around her again. "Always, my love," he whispered against her skin, making her shiver again. "I've lied awake so many nights, thinking of you and imagining our future. Building your dream together has always seemed to magical to me." He kissed her neck again. "I want that so much. I want it so much more than I can possibly say, but," he pulled back to look her in the eyes, "do you really think we can do it?"

Tiana smiled and cupped his cheek. "We've survived everything else the world has thrown at is."

"The Shadow Man," Naveen offered.

"A curse," Tiana replied.

"Kedar."

"So I think we can survive this too," Tiana said.

Naveen smiled at her. God he loved this woman.

"Ever since we got that first letter from your parents and through these past six months I've felt so frustrated because I didn't know how to go forward," Tiana said. "All this stuff with your parents and Maldonia…. There's so much about it that I don't know."

Naveen laughed to himself. She wasn't the only one here who didn't know much about Maldonia.

"But now we know what's in our way," Tiana continued. "It's not abstract anymore, and we can figure a way around it." She laughed softly. "I haven't the slightest idea how, but for the first time in a long time I'm feeling confident, and I don't know about you, but I'm going to hold onto that feeling."

He brushed his lips with hers in a soft kiss. "You're right," Naveen said. "You're absolutely right." He kissed her again, he couldn't stop himself. "We can do anything as long as we are together. I know we can get my parents on our side, and then they'll have to see how ridiculous that law is."

Once more he brought their lips together. And then once more, and then once more after that.

Tiana giggled into his kisses, smiling all the while. It was so good to have him back. "I love you, Naveen."

"I love you, too."

She had wrapped her arms around his neck and was now twirling his curls around her finger. "Do you think it's time we headed back inside?"

"I suppose," he said with a sigh. "Though I would much rather stay out here."

Tiana giggled again. "Me too."

They sat in silence for a moment, then Tiana said, "My Mama's probably gonna kill us if we stay out here much longer though."

"Oh." Naveen reluctantly stood and held out his hand to Tiana. "Sounds like we'd better go inside, then."

* * *

When they walked back inside, the air was tense, though Tiana was glad to see her prediction about Eudora's lecture to Naveen's parents seemed to have come true. They both had sheepish looks on their faces, while Eudora gave her a sly smile. If Tiana had to guess, she would say that this was the first time the king and queen had ever been scolded in such a way. Tiana was definitely going to ask her mother what she had said to them later.

Sunil cleared his throat after they sat back down. "Tiana, let me begin -"  
But Tiana held up her hand to stop him. "I would like to say something."

Sunil gestured for her to continue.

Under the table, Naveen took Tiana's hand and gave her a squeeze.

"Naveen and I are very much in love, and we want to be married" she said simply. "But you knew that already. The whole reason you came all this way is to see if I'll be a good match for Naveen and a good princess for Maldonia, and I understand that.

"I may not know what it takes to be a good princess, but I want you to know that I'm willing to learn. I told you before that I'm not afraid of the responsibility, and I meant that. I'm also not afraid to work hard and fight for what I believe in."

Tiana took a deep breath. She wasn't used to this much attention from so many people. But the looks from her mother and Naveen were encouraging so she continued. "I've been working hard for my restaurant my whole life. One of the reasons I love Naveen so much is that he understands just how important my dream is to me."

Naveen brought Tiana's hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "Ammi, Baba…. I could never ask Tiana to give up her dream."

"But we need each other," Tiana said.

"So what are you saying?" Idhal asked.

"We want to be married," Tiana started.

"And have Tiana's restaurant," Naveen finished.

Sunil sighed. "Son, the law-"

"I know, Baba," Naveen interrupted. "But you've said it yourself that laws must be updated to stay relevant. Maybe it's time this one changed."

"Hmm," Sunil stroked his mustache. "Of all the things I've said over the years about laws, I never expected you to actually listen."

"We're not saying that the solution has to be found tonight," Tiana offered. "But this is what Naveen and I have decided we want."

"It's what we need," Naveen clarified.

Tiana caught Eudora's eye, and was pleased to find her mother beaming with pride.

Idhal gave a soft sigh as she sat back in her chair. "Well, this certainly makes things more interesting."

Sunil was smoothing down his mustache again. "I think…." he paused, and all their eyes turned to him. "I think it is an admirable goal."

Tiana could have jumped for joy but she didn't want to let go of Naveen's hand, which was now gripping hers tighter than ever.

"But I warn you," Sunil continued, "changing a Maldonian law is a complicated process, and nothing passes without my approval." He gave Tiana and Naveen each a long look. "I wish you the best of luck, but my mind is not easily swayed."

"Would some dessert help?" Tiana asked before she could think that maybe it wasn't a good idea to joke about this kind of thing.

Luckily Sunil laughed heartily. "It certainly doesn't hurt," he said, and smiled at her with a twinkle in his eyes.

* * *

The rest of the dinner went by smoothly much to Tiana's pleasant surprise. Everyone seemed to enjoy her beignets, especially Naveen of course. He snuck her back into the kitchen to kiss her with his lips covered in sugar. Man catching beignets, indeed.

It wasn't long after dessert that Ravi curled up on the easy chair and fell asleep. This seemed to signal the end of the party. The royal family said their thanks and wished Tiana and Eudora goodnight. Then Sunil gathered his youngest son in his arms and carried him to the car that was idling outside.

"Wait are we really leaving?" Naveen asked, glancing from his family to Tiana. He certainly didn't want to leave just yet.

"Ravi is asleep, darling," Idhal said, as she went through the door, "and we don't want to wake him. Say your goodnights, but don't dawdle please."

"But-"

"Naveen," Sunil whispered. "Five minutes. And I'm counting."

Ugh. This was so embarrassing. He felt like a child. But five minutes was five minutes, and after his parents stepped off the porch, Naveen took Tiana back in his arms and kissed her tenderly. It was so lovely to kiss her like this.

"Tonight wasn't too terrible, was it?" he asked.

"Well, you're here and that's all that mattered to me," Tiana replied.

He had to kiss her for that.

"I wish I didn't have to go," Naveen whispered, holding her close. "Even with this dinner party I feel like I hardly got to spend time with you." There was still so much he wanted to do and to say with her.

"I know what you mean." Her fingers twirled his hair again, and it made Naveen's insides squirm in the best possible way. "I have a feeling it's going to be harder to spend time together like we used to. At least for a little while."

Naveen gave her a soft smile, happily remembering all those times spent together, nights on the porch where they kissed, or dancing at the Paradise where they would kiss, or cooking lessons where he would sneak in some kisses too. Surely not all of that would be put on hold with his parents here, right? But Naveen could hear the engine idling outside and he could easily picture his father looking at his watch counting down the seconds before he would come and drag Naveen away.

It seemed Tiana had a point, and yet Naveen wondered.

"I do have an idea," he said, lowering his voice and giving her a wicked grin.

"Uh oh," she said with a smile on her face. "What is it?"

"What would you think if I came to see you tonight?"

"What?!" Tiana exclaimed, then immediately covered her mouth with her hand. She glanced around to make sure no one heard her, but Eudora was in the kitchen washing the dishes, and everyone else was still outside. She came in closer to Naveen and whispered, "Are you crazy?"

"Crazy for you," Naveen whispered back and kissed her nose.

Tiana shivered. "But … how? I can't let you in the front door!"

"There is still the trellis below your window, yes? I can climb up that way," Naveen said. "I'll throw some pebbles at your window to let you know I am there, and you can let me in."

"You really are crazy," Tiana said with a laugh, but the idea of it was so tempting. To be alone with Naveen in her room after all this time… how many times had she imagined just this exact scenario? And yet now that it was here in front of her it felt incredibly naughty. Not naughty enough to say no, though.

Still, she couldn't resist teasing him.

Tiana leaned into his embrace and raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought we weren't going to do this type of thing, hmm? What happened to not sneaking around and doing things properly?"

"I was a fool when I said that," Naveen whispered to her. "I want you, Tiana. I've hardly been able to sleep for want of you. But we don't have to do anything like that if you are feeling unsure." He kissed her again, lightly this time. "I just want to spend some time with you where we can be alone and not have to worry about anyone else. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," Tiana said. She cupped his cheek and kissed him softly on the mouth. "You know, Mama  _is_ a heavy sleeper."

Naveen perked up. "Is that a yes?"

Tiana bit her lip and glanced around again. "What time can you be here?"

Naveen grinned widely. He wanted to kiss her again and again, but the five minutes were almost up. Besides, there would be plenty of time for that later. "I don't know exactly," he said. "I have to wait until my parents go to bed, and then I'll need to wait longer to make sure they are asleep. That, unfortunately, can take some time. Ammi, well, she gets restless, especially after long journeys."

Tiana's face fell, but Naveen kissed her. The headlights on the car flashed. It was time for him to go.

"Look, I don't want you waiting up for me all night," Naveen said quickly.

"I would though," Tiana said.

Naveen kissed her again. "I know." He tucked a curl behind her ear. "If I'm not here by one o'clock then I wasn't able to come. Not for lack of trying, mind you."

The lights flashed again, and Naveen kissed Tiana once more. "I love you, Tiana. I'll see you tonight."

"I'll be waiting."


	16. Chapter 16

Of course the one night that Tiana didn't want to have a long lengthy chat with her mother was the same night Eudora didn't want to leave her side. Normally Tiana loved talking with Eudora, and she did need to pick apart the evening with her - had she done okay with Naveen's parents? What did she think of them? What exactly did Eudora tell them when Tiana was out of the room?

But the clock kept ticking and Naveen's promise that he would return to her this evening was making Tiana antsy. She wished they had come up with more exact time frame for his arrival. Yes she knew what the deadline was (one o'clock seemed stamped upon her brain), but she didn't know what time it was possible he could start to arrive.

Just when was the king and queen's normal bedtime? It wasn't long after nine thirty, but that wasn't an unreasonable time to go to bed especially after a long day like today. What if they had already fallen asleep and Naveen was on his way over right now, and she and Eudora were still awake in the living room?

Eudora would, of course, hear Naveen's pebbles on her window and their private plans for the evening would be out in the open. Would Eudora understand, or would she take away their blessing? 

Tiana took a deep breath and reminded herself that none of that had actually happened. Yet. Just to be on the safe side, though, Tiana figured she might as well hurry her mother along to bed.

Stretching her arms over her head, Tiana let out a long yawn."I don't know about you, Mama, but I'm exhausted."

"You poor thing," Eudora said with a soft smile. "It's been a long day for you, hasn't it?" She kissed her daughter's cheek. "Why don't you head on upstairs and get some sleep."

"You're not tired?" Tiana asked, feeling her heart rate spike.

"I'm beat," Eudora replied, "but I wanted to finish up a few of these hemlines before turning in."

Oh no. Knowing her mother, Eudora could be up for hours then. Whenever she said she just wanted to work on hemlines it always turned into something bigger.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Tiana asked. "Didn't you just tell me last week how working this late hurts your eyes?"

Eudora dismissed Tiana's concerns with a wave of her hand. "It's only a few hems. I could do them blindfolded if I had to." She gave Tiana a kiss on the cheek, and scooted her towards the stairs. "Don't you worry about me. But you need your rest."

Tiana spent the next forty five minutes in a constant state of panic. She had quickly gotten ready for bed, lest her mother figure out Tiana's real plans for the evening, and then she lay frantic in bed listening for any sound of Naveen outside, and hoping that Eudora would finish up soon.

At last Tiana heard the tell tale signs of Eudora coming upstairs and getting ready for bed herself. It wasn't soon after that, if Tiana listened carefully, she could hear the gentle rhythmic sound of her mother snoring softly in the next room.

Tiana could at last relax. They would be safe from her mother. Unless they made too much noise, but Tiana wasn't worried about that. Eudora could fall asleep within seconds anywhere and not wake for anything. It was a trait she had passed along to Tiana, who had on multiple occasions found herself sleeping standing up at Cal's on those slow night shifts.

Only tonight, Tiana definitely didn't want to accidentally fall asleep and miss Naveen somehow. But she didn't think she'd be falling asleep anytime soon. As exhausted as she felt, underneath it all was the growing buzz of desire for Naveen's touch and his kisses.

Her mind wandered, as it so often did, towards the more intimate letters he had sent to her. A shiver went down Tiana's spine as she recalled the words she had memorized long ago. She clutched absently at her bedsheets, wondering. Just how intimate were they going to be tonight? How many of Naveen's letters were finally going to come true?

She felt ready for anything that would (or wouldn't) happen that evening. No matter which scenario went through her mind - from just holding each other and talking to full on making love (the latter was a little hazy in her mind, as Tiana still didn't know all the particulars) - there was one constant thread that tied them all together. She wanted him.

Yes she wanted to kiss him and hold him and...so on, but Naveen was right earlier. It had been so long since they had seen each other, and today hadn't been what she had imagined. It would be nice to just be with him, no matter what happened.

If only he would get here.

Tiana sighed and glanced over at her bedside clock for what felt like the millionth time. Time seemed to be moving altogether too fast, and yet dragging on at the same time. It felt like she had been waiting in this room for months (though Tiana supposed in a few ways she had been), and still it wasn't even midnight yet.

She reached over to the window next to her bed and tapped her fingernails on the glass, as if recreating the sound of pebbles on her window could make him appear faster. Anything to keep her mind from wandering back to Naveen's letters.

Except trying to not think of them only made her think of them, and then her stomach flipped imagining Naveen's touch on her skin. His fingers slipping underneath her nightgown…

Her nightgown. Tiana sighed fingering the plain fabric between her own fingers. She wished she had something different to wear than her boring old practical nightgown. Tiana had never given it a second thought until tonight.

It had always seemed perfectly fine to Tiana, but when she changed into it earlier she realized just how shapeless it was, and how it covered everything. It was hardly the nightgown to inspire the night of unbridled passion that Tiana was growing so desperately to want.

She imagined what it would be like to wear more revealing negligee in front of Naveen, and what kind of reaction that would get from him. Then she'd be the one seducing him for a change. The blush that flooded her cheeks came hard and fast, but still, Tiana shivered in delight at the thought.

If only he would come.

Another glance at the clock, but Tiana's heart sank. Only five minutes until one o'clock. What could have kept him away? Surely he would be trying his hardest to come to her. He wanted to be together as much as she did, right? 'If I'm not there by one o'clock I wasn't able to come. Not for lack of trying, mind you.'

The clock ticked steadily on until it finally hit one. Tiana felt like she might weep. Damn that clock and damn the rest of the world too. None of this was fair! All they wanted was to be together, so then why was everything trying to pull them apart?

Tiana turned to her side in a huff, feeling her anger and sadness mix in with her ongoing desire. The whole idea of this one o'clock deadline was so that Tiana wouldn't stay up all night, but how was she supposed to sleep with everything so pent up inside her?

She wanted to throw that damn clock out the window. The stupid thing wasn't even ticking right anymore. There were extra ticks in there now, and they weren't even regular.

Wait. Tiana sat up with a gasp and scooted over to the windowsill and threw open the curtains. There, down below was Naveen, ready to throw another pebble at her window. When he saw her at the window, he grinned up at her.

Tiana quickly opened up the window. "What are you doing here?" she whispered as loud as she dared.

"I told you I would come."

Tiana shivered, either from the fresh night air or the sound of his voice, she didn't know. She didn't care either. "You're late, you know. It's past one o'clock."

Naveen tossed the handful of pebbles to the side and brushed his hands together. "You almost sound disappointed," he teased. "I thought you might still be awake, so I took the chance. But if you are too tired, I can always go back to the hotel."

He took a playful step in the opposite direction and Tiana had to stop herself from shouting.

"Don't you dare," she whispered loudly.

Much to her relief, Naveen immediately turned and came back below her window, laughing softly as he did so.

"Hurry up and get in here, mister. I've missed you too much to wait any longer."

"As you wish, princess."

Naveen climbed up the trellis carefully pulling himself up. When he was just about level with the windowsill, Tiana surprised herself by grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in for a deep, passionate kiss.

Naveen moaned and happily returned the kiss, climbing clumsily the rest of the way through the window, giggling softly as he fell gracelessly inside and onto Tiana's bed. Once safely inside though, they quickly lost themselves in each other as their kisses grew frantic and deeper.

Naveen moved himself on top of Tiana and his hands and his kisses were suddenly everywhere. Chills of delight traveled over her body, all heading toward the bundle of throbbing sensation between her thighs.

He kissed her cheeks and her neck while his hands cupped and kneaded her breasts. When he moved down and kissed her breasts over the thin fabric of her nightgown, Tiana had to stop herself from crying out. It was all escalating so fast, faster than even her imagination had taken her, but it felt so good that she was never going to stop him.

He kissed his way back up to her lips, but his hands moved lower, down the plane of her abdomen as if her desire was calling out to him. Though maybe in a way it was.

When his hand slipped under her nightgown, Tiana gasped, and then moaned as he cupped her mound and then push her undies aside as his fingers pressed and parted the folds where she wanted him most, exploring in delicious strokes and slides.

Tiana had taken hold of his shirt again, pulling him in close as they kissed, lost to the sensation of it all. There was nothing else but this moment, these feelings of his touch and his kiss. She couldn't part with any of it, not for anything, not even to breathe.

His fingers curled inside her, and his thumb brushed against her sensitive nub, and that's when the pleasure that had been building so swiftly burst in her, pure and bright and sweeter than anything she'd ever felt before. There was nothing else in that moment, just the pleasure of it all. Just Naveen.

It was then that Tiana remembered to breathe, and she unwillingly broke the kiss, still holding tight to Naveen shirt as she panted and felt a marvelous throbbing between her legs . He eased his hand from her and moved to the side, bringing her with him and holding her tight to his body, pressing light kisses along her chin and neck as he did so.

"Are you alright, Tiana?" he whispered, once her breathing had somewhat returned to normal. He chuckled softly as he pressed another kiss to her neck. "That was pretty fast."

Panting, and still out of breath Tiana flushed even as his kisses sent more waves of pleasure through her. She was trembling slightly, and her mind was all a glow, and maybe that's why she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"It's because I've been fantasizing about you for the past six months," she said, then blushed again. Had she really said that? She hid her face in Naveen's chest, too embarrassed to look at him, and yet she felt giddy for saying it. Or was that the aftershocks that were still coursing through her body? Either way, it was true, so why should she hide it from him?

Tiana also had no doubt that Naveen would appreciate hearing how much she had thought about him, and when he moaned against her neck, low and soft, it only confirmed it for her. The sound he made was familiar, but somehow obscene and inviting at the same time. It was the groan of a man who had tasted something delicious and that something was her.

He pulled back to look at her with those bedroom eyes of his and gave her a lopsided grin. "So what kind of things did this Fantasy Naveen do, hmm?"

Tiana felt another blush rush up to her cheeks. Her skin was dark enough that it could hide her blushes most of the time, and so she was thankful now that they were in the dark so it would be completely hidden from him. She shouldn't have said anything, but now it was too late. Despite how much she loved and trusted Naveen, and even after everything they had just done, Tiana felt embarrassed to share her fantasies with him.

She lowered her eyes and shrugged. "I don't know," Tiana said softly.

Naveen inched closer to her, and playfully nudged his nose against hers, turning her face back towards him. "It's alright, Tiana," he whispered. "You can tell me. It'll be our secret." He pressed their lips together in a soft kiss. "Tell me. Please."

Tiana bit her lip as Naveen held her against his body while he kissed her, waiting for her answer. She could feel him pressed against her, especially that stiffness between his legs. It felt bigger than she would have thought, but then again the only thing close to a naked man Tiana had ever seen were those greek statues that Lottie had on her lawn. She and Lottie had giggled plenty over those statues as girls, but now Tiana was beginning to think those weren't the most accurate depictions of men, especially below the belt.

Or maybe it was. What did she know, after all? She shivered though, at what she did know, wondering what it would be like to have Naveen hard inside her, where his fingers had been. If his fingers could work such magic on her, she was almost afraid of what else he could wring from her.

There her thoughts went again. She had never ever had such dirty thoughts before Naveen, and lately she couldn't seem to stop. Maybe it would be good to share them with him. After all, hadn't he shared his with her in all of those letters? It was only fair... right?

Tiana pulled back from the kiss and pressed their foreheads together. She whispered so softly, even as close as Naveen was he had to strain to hear her. "I imagined you and me...together. Alone."

"Where?" Naveen breathed. "Where were we?"

"Here."

"In bed?"

"Yes."

Naveen kissed her, his tongue running across her lip encouragingly. "And did this Fantasy Naveen pleasure you?"

She nodded against him. "Yes."

"How?"

Tiana closed her eyes, but didn't pull away. How to describe it? "By...doing what we just did," she eventually settled on. "And the things you wrote about in your letters."

Now it was Naveen's turn to shiver. He pulled her closer and whispered, "Did this Fantasy Naveen pleasure you with his mouth? Because Real Naveen wants to do that very much."

Tiana gasped softly and opened her eyes. The expression on Naveen's face was full of earnestness and need, and Tiana knew her own face mirrored his, even as her knowledge on the subject at hand was nil.

Naveen had written to her many times about using his mouth, but it had been hard enough to write to him explaining that she didn't know what to do in the main act of making love, so how could she also tell him that she was just as naive about this?

It must be more kisses, she supposed, which were always okay in her book, especially right now when they were pressed so close together. The echoes of her earlier pleasure still flooded through her veins, and Tiana would welcome anything he wanted to do to her.

She nodded and Naveen grinned before planting a swift kiss on her lips.

"I think you'll like this, Tiana," he whispered, moving his body so it was once again covered her. He nuzzled against her jaw and ear, pressing soft kisses to her cheek, the corner of her mouth, her lips. "But if you don't like it, that is okay too."

"Okay," Tiana breathed. His lips were hitting every sensitive part of her neck, and then as he began to kiss lower along her nightgown, her pulse quickened. This was already going differently than she expected but it was nice and she wanted more.

"You just have to tell me and I'll stop," Naveen said, kissing over her breasts now, and then lower to her quivering stomach. "You can say 'Naveen, I don't like this, please stop', or 'Naveen let's do something else', or just 'stop', and I will."

"Okay," she said again. He had now moved more fully between her thighs and was kissing his way to up to her knee. The stubble of his beard scraped against her sensitive skin, making her tremble with desire.

Naveen smiled softly as he kissed one knee and then the other. "You look confused and slightly terrified," he said calmly. "Are you alright? Do you wish for me to stop?"

"No, I…." Tiana licked her lips and struggled for the right thing to say. "When you say that you're going to use your mouth," she blushed again but continued, "what exactly do you mean?"

Naveen gave her that naughty smile that made her insides squirm. "I mean that I want to kiss and lick you, until you cry out with pleasure," he said, lowering his voice so it was nice and husky. To emphasize his point, he moved his hand back between her legs and cupped her once more, making Tiana gasp.

"Wait. There?!" Now this was all making sense, and Tiana couldn't believe how naive she had been. But the thought of kissing someone there had never even occurred to her, so how was she supposed to know?

Naveen let out a low chuckle and bent over her, slowly rubbing her all the while which had her squirming with anticipation and nerves. "Mhmm." He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "What did you think I meant?"

"I don't know," Tiana admitted, with a slight laugh. Any other thought she had on the subject had vanished with this new and exciting possibility in front of her.

"Does this change your mind about things?" He asked, kissing her dimple.

Tiana gasped again. His kisses and his touches were amping her up again, hardly leaving her in a state to think rationally, but when it came to matters like this, maybe she didn't need to. She shivered, thinking of all the ways he made her feel when he kissed her normally. How much better would it feel when he kissed her there.

"No, it doesn't," Tiana answered after a moment.

Naveen pulled back. "You still want to?" he asked, a hint of a smile on his face.

Tiana cupped his cheek. "Yes. If you do."

"Oh, Tiana." Naveen let out a shaky breath and rubbed their noses together. "I'm desperate to taste you."

She kissed him. "What do I need to do?"

"You don't have to do anything, love," he answered. "I'll take care of everything. Just lie back and relax." Naveen kissed her forehead, her nose, and then finally her lips. "Though you should make sure that you are quiet. Much as I want to make you scream in ecstasy, now doesn't seem like the best time for that."

Tiana giggled as he kissed his way down her body again. "Okay. I can be quiet."

"But still talk to me, okay?" Naveen stopped his kisses and waited until she looked directly at him. "I want to know what you like, or don't like. I want to know everything. Will you promise me that?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Alright, then." He was back between her legs again, kissing one thigh and then the other. This time he was kissing down towards her center. "Are you feeling relaxed? Are you…. comfortable?"

The way he said that word sent Tiana down a rabbit hole of memories. Lord, the first time he had talked that way to her, they had been frogs and she had kicked him away. Now she felt like she might die if he didn't keep touching her.

"Very comfortable," she told him, and reached for his head and stroked his cheek, partly wishing he would just get on with it. She was feeling relaxed but the longer he took, the more nervous she was getting.

"Good," he said, giving her another kiss. "Though perhaps we can make you more comfortable?"

Tiana raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant, but it all became clear as his hands slid further under her nightgown and he fiddled with the waist of her underwear.

"How about we lose these, hmm?"

Tiana didn't know what to think. Taking off her undergarments was a whole new level of naughtiness compared to everything else they had done, or everything else they were about to do. Though, was it really naughtier than having Naveen's face between her thighs? Would it really be so terrible to do something like this with her own husband? Because yes, they were married after all, even if no one else seemed to think so.

"Okay," Tiana said, even as her cheeks burned.

She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side as Naveen began to slide her underwear down and off. She was much too embarrassed to look Naveen in the eyes, though she did lift her hips a little to help with their removal. Then she heard the soft thump of her underwear hitting the floor, and Tiana knew the deed was done. At least she wasn't completely naked, she told herself. She still wore her nightgown, though it was feeling thinner than usual. So much for being the one to seduce him for a change.

Naveen started kissing his way down her thighs again, switching between them as he got lower and lower. Even though this was the same skin he had been kissing before, the fact that she no longer had her underwear on made everything feel different, and more intimate.

"You're so beautiful, Tiana," Naveen said softly against her skin.

Tiana let out a soft whimper as she felt his hot breath against her skin. His fingers touched her lightly. She knew now that he was teasing her, and it was torture.

"Naveen. Please," she begged, trembling as she did so.

He set his mouth to her at last.

Tiana gasped loud, too loud, and sprang forward sitting up straight.

"What is it?" Naveen asked, coming up for air. Tiana immediately covered her mouth with her hands and Naveen gathered her to his chest. They both stared at the door breathing hard while trying to be quiet. Had they been too loud? Where they going to get caught?

Naveen counted to twenty, and then fifty, but still no sound could be heard other than their frantic breathing. He let out a shaky breath and nuzzled against her hair. "What was that you said about being quiet?"

She giggled softly into his chest. "Sorry."

He kissed her, open mouthed, gently teasing. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No," she said with a smile. "It was nice. Really really nice."

He pressed her back down onto the bed, kissing her again. "Do you want me to continue?"

"Yes please."

"Then you must be quiet, my love. We musn't be heard."

Tiana nodded. She could do it. She could be quiet. She could do anything so long as he touched her like that again.

Naveen wasted no time. His mouth consumed her like fire, his tongue stroking in long, slow licks, curling in a slick promise at the hard center of her pleasure. His touch was lewd, and lascivious, and lovely all at once, and Tiana found she couldn't get enough of it.

Her hands searched for him. Finding his soft hair, her fingers curled against him, and she gasped his name.

He lifted his mouth from her. "Do you like it?"

"Oh god yes," she panted. "Don't stop. Please."

He laughed, low and soft in the dark. "As you demand, my princess." And he set his mouth to her again.

Tiana bit her lip to keep from crying out, as he licked, long and slow and devastating. She lifted her hips to meet his remarkable mouth, not caring that the action could be called nothing but wanton. She did want.

She needed.

And he gave without purchase. He set his tongue to the hard bud at the top of her, working until she gasped his name again.

"Shh." He spoke directly to the core of her, the rush of air making her wild. "Be careful."

The words did nothing but excite her further, and it grew worse as he teased and tempted with his tongue. When he set his mouth to her, she widened her thighs and lifted herself to him. Biting back the cries that came again and again as he pressed more firmly, giving her everything she desired.

She rocked against him, and then the tension inside of her released, in a glorious, wicked sensation, and she forgot everything but him, and his strong grip, and his wonderful mouth.

When the pleasure crested, breaking over her, breaking her, it was Naveen who held her together, letting her explore all the corners of pleasure without hesitation. Any embarrassment she had felt earlier was gone. Now there was only the pleasure, and Naveen. Always Naveen.

He kissed his way back up her trembling body and settled by her side once more. He wrapped his arms around her tight, and Tiana curled into his heat. He cupped her head and held it to his chest and kissed her temple softly. As she lay in his arms and breathed him in, Tiana didn't think she had ever felt more loved in her life.

It was all too much for her, and she sniffed as tears sprang from her eyes.

"Tiana, are you alright?" Naveen pulled back and brushed away her tears with his thumb.

"Yes," she sniffed and smiled. "I've never felt better in my life."

"Then why are you crying, love?"

"Because I'm happy." She cupped his cheek, stroking along his chin. "Naveen, I'm just so glad you're back." She sniffed again, even as she smiled. "I missed you so much."

He pressed a light kiss to her lips. ""I missed you too." Naveen pulled her back to his chest and gently stroked her hair. "I thought of you so often, when I was away. You were always in my mind, and my heart." He kissed her temple and whispered softly into her hair. "Can you forgive me for taking so long to come back to you?"

"There's nothing to forgive," Tiana said. "Even though it was hard, I think you needed to go back. There were a lot of loose ends that needed tying up." Tiana sighed softly. "There still are."

Then it was Naveen's turn to sigh. Pressed up against Tiana like this, the last thing he wanted to do was to talk about all that stood in the way of their happily ever after. But they had to figure it all out if they wanted future nights like this one, and Naveen wanted that very much.

Still, maybe they could postpone it for just a little longer. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent and nuzzled against her. "Are you sure you want to talk about this now?"

"No," she whispered, nuzzling back. Then she laughed a little under her breath. "But I think I need a break from… well… you know."

Naveen chuckled as he kissed her. Oh, he knew.

Her fingers traced along his neck and down to his tie. Even knowing little about men's fashion, Tiana could tell it was an expensive tie just by the way the fabric felt between her fingers. The tie wasn't as interesting as the man wearing it, though.

Now she could really feel him, pressed up against each other as they were. She pressed her hand flat to his chest, marveling at the heat she could feel even through his shirt. What would it be like to kiss his bare skin there? Would he like it? Judging by the way he murmured softly as she ran her hands there, he would like it very much. Tiana thought she would rather enjoy it herself.

Tiana bit her lip, giving him fleeting glances as her hands went back to his tie. "Unless you want to…." She didn't know how to finish that sentence. Instead, she pulled at his tie, loosening it just enough to get to the top button of his shirt.

Naveen's breathing was getting shallower now. He pressed against her again, and Tiana could have sworn she felt him twitch.

"That's you, isn't it?" Tiana asked. There was no need to clarify what she was asking about. She popped open the top button, making him gasp softly.

Naveen licked his lips. "Yes," he breathed. "As I said before, I am… very happy to see you again."

Tiana pressed a kiss to his lovely collar bone, and she knew he was trying to stifle his moan. It was wonderful to hear, and slightly alluring knowing just a simple kiss could make him act like this.

She pressed her hand against his chest again, but this time she ran it slowly downward, towards his quivering stomach.

"Do you want me to….?" She didn't know exactly what she was asking, but she was willing, and she trusted Naveen to show her what to do.

"Oh god yes," he whispered. But he covered her hand with his own and stopped her in her tracks. Holding it tightly, he brought it up to his lips where he kissed it hungrily. "I've dreamt of it so often, you have no idea."

If it was anything like how often her fantasies drifted that way, she did have some idea.

"But we can't, love," he finished.

"Huh?"

"I'm starting to remember why I wanted to wait in the first place," he said, kissing her hand once more. "It's already going to be hard to leave you and go back to the hotel, but if we start doing that, I'll never be able to tear myself away."

Leave? Oh no. He would have to leave sometime, wouldn't he? Of course he would. Tiana knew that all along, and still there was some small part of her that had hoped he would be able to stay all night. Now she worried that this was his way of saying he needed to go.

She stroked his cheek softly and whispered, "I'm not asking you to leave."

"I know." Naveen pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I don't have to leave just yet, but it might be safer if we… avoid temptation."

Naveen almost had to laugh. If he had told himself a year ago that he would be in bed with a beautiful woman trying not to make love to her… well, he wouldn't have believed it.

Tiana smoothed back her hair, and gave him a shy smile. "You're right, you're right."

"It's not going to be easy though, with you looking at me like that," Naveen said with a smirk.

"Like what?" Tiana giggled and propped herself up on her elbow. She raised an eyebrow at him, challengingly.

Naveen gave an appreciative hum and reached up to her, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "You have this smile that makes you look very… satisfied." He let the last word linger on his lips, lowering his pitch and making it as husky as he could.

Tiana bit her lip but didn't deny it. She playfully tugged at his tie. "What else?"

"Mmm, your nightgown is all wrinkled." He licked his lips, knowing there was nothing underneath. "And your hair is coming loose."

It was still mostly tied back, but there were more strands loose than he had ever seen before. Oh how he wanted to untie her hair and run his fingers through every strand. He wanted to bury himself in it, and see it spread out on the pillow while he lay on top of her naked body and…

This was not avoiding temptation.

He needed to change the subject or he wasn't going to be able to stop himself from kissing her senseless and rolling her over on her back again.

"Can I ask you a question, Tiana?"

"Of course."

"Why do you always have your hair tied back?"

"Oh. Um… what do you mean?" But she sat up completely and pulled all the strands that had come loose back and tied them all up again.

"In all this time I've known you, I've never seen your hair down," Naveen explained.

"Well, it's just… it's just easier to keep it out of the way when I'm cooking," Tiana said, matter of factly.

"But you still have it pulled back even when you aren't cooking," Naveen countered.

"It's.. Well…" Tiana fiddled with the hem of her nightgown, struggling with how to put it into words. But Naveen deserved to know. "With hair like mine, it gets… complicated."

Naveen was sitting up now, too.

Tiana took a deep breath. "I used to wear it down sometimes when I was younger. But when your hair isn't seen as the status quo…" She took another breath. "You find that there's a lot of nasty comments thrown your way, and that people don't take you as seriously, or people just try to touch it without permission."

She didn't elaborate on just how bad it would get sometimes. The memories were painful, and Tiana didn't like to remember kids putting things in her hair, or forcefully pulling on it. And then of course that one time her teacher had cut her hair…

Tiana glanced up to find Naveen had gone slightly pale, even in the moonlight. "Tiana, I didn't know, I-"

And she realized that he must be thinking of all the times he had touched her hair. Tiana gently silenced him. "I don't mean you," she said. "I like it when you touch my hair." She gave him a shy smile. "It feels nice."

Naveen sighed. "Okay."

"These would be complete strangers who would just…anyway." Tiana smoothed down her nightgown and continued. "A lot of other women straighten their hair, or relax it, but I didn't want to do that. Pulling my hair back lets me keep it natural while nullifying everyone's reaction to it."

She glanced anxiously at Naveen. "Bet you didn't expect such a complicated answer, huh?"

He let out a nervous chuckle. "I confess, I did not. Thank you for telling me, though." Naveen kissed her cheek and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "Did people really say such horrible things to you?"

"Yes."

Naveen grunted. "Well, they are very rude, and very very wrong." He kissed her cheek again. "I hope you didn't listen to them. You know you are beautiful, yes? Every part of you."

"Naveen…"

"It is not just me saying this, you know," he said with a grin. "This is a fact. And you know I would never lie to you."

"I do know that," Tiana replied. "Thank you." She kissed him and settled back into his embrace.

After a moment, Naveen tentatively asked, "Will you show me sometime?"

"Really?"

"Yes," he whispered. "It doesn't have to be now, or next week, or even after we are married, but… I would like to see. If you want to, that is. If you feel comfortable."

Tiana stroked his cheek. "I will, but not now." She kissed his chin. "Gotta save something for the honeymoon, right?"

Naveen chuckled. "Right."

"Speaking of…" Tiana playfully tugged at his tie again. "We still haven't talked about what we're going to do about your parents and that law. We need to figure it out if we're ever going to have an actual honeymoon."

Naveen sighed. "Yes, you're right." He laid down on his back on the bed and opened his arms, gesturing for Tiana to join him.

He didn't have to ask twice. She happily settled down next to him and rested her head on his chest.

Naveen pressed a kiss to her temple and asked, "So do you have any ideas?"

"Not really," Tiana admitted. "The only thing I can think of is to somehow make your parents like me enough that they'll want to change the law. But that seems unlikely."

"Not necessarily," Naveen said. His fingers lightly danced over her back as he held her. "They already like you."

Tiana snickered. "Even after tonight?"

"Oh yes, definitely," Naveen said. "There's nothing more that Baba respects than someone who speaks their mind. And it took a lot of courage to stand up to them the way you did." He kissed her temple again. "I don't think anyone has done that in years."

Tiana pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You did."

"I don't think that counts."

"You wouldn't be here if you hadn't," Tiana pointed out.

"Mmm. I suppose." But he had to smile at that. He squeezed her shoulder and kissed her again.

"Nevertheless," Tiana said, "I don't think we can rely on this plan, if you want to call it that. We should have some other ideas. What do you know about changing Maldonian laws?"

"Not much, unfortunately," Naveen admitted. "I know it had to go through a council, maybe two. Then I think a chamber has to vote on it, and of course Baba has the final say."

"Oh gosh," Tiana whispered. "This might be harder than we thought."

Naveen hummed in agreement, and then sighed. "I'm sorry this is all so complicated."

"It's not your fault."

"Yes it is," he said. "If I was just plain old Naveen Mahajan instead of Crown Prince Naveen of the Royal Mahajan's of Maldonia we wouldn't have to worry about any of this. We'd probably already be married and halfway to building your perfect restaurant."

"I know," Tiana said, tracing invisible patterns across his chest. She'd be lying if she hadn't thought that too. "But we have to focus on the reality of the situation, and the truth is that we don't live in that reality."

He knew it, but it didn't make him feel any better. Despite their united front, and how hard he was willing to fight for the future they wanted, Naveen knew there was still a chance they couldn't change that law. But the wheels were starting to fall into place as an idea formed in his head. And then he had it.

Naveen sat up abruptly with a gasp.

"What is it?" Tiana asked. "Did you think of something?"

"Yes, I-" He put his hand on his forehead and had to stop himself from breaking out into roaring laughter. That didn't stop a few chuckles from escaping anyway. "It's so simple! I can't believe I didn't think of it before!"

"What is it?" Tiana repeated.

Naveen turned to Tiana and grabbed her shoulders in excitement. "I'll abdicate!"

"What?!" she gasped, a little too loudly, then covered her mouth with her hands. She turned towards the door, but it stayed safely shut. "Are you crazy?" she whispered to Naveen after a moment.

"No," Naveen laughed. "I've never felt more sure about anything. Except you, of course."

"You can't do this," Tiana said.

"Why not? It will solve all of our problems."

"And create about a million more," Tiana countered.

Naveen tsked and waved that argument away. "No it won't."

"Do you even know what it takes to abdicate? What if you need your parents permission? You know they won't let you."

"It is not their decision," Naveen said. "It is mine."

"So is getting married, and we've seen how that's worked out so far," Tiana said.

Naveen grumbled. "Why are you fighting me on this? It is a good idea. Listen to me." He grabbed her shoulders again and looked her square in the eyes.

"There is a real possibility that we won't be able to change the law, and that we will have to go our separate ways, and I don't want that. I can't go through that again. I want to stay close to you, no, I need to stay close to you, no matter what, and if that means I have to give up the throne I'll do it. Because I love you."

Tiana was shaking her head as her eyes glistened with tears. "Naveen, I can't ask you to do this."

"You don't have to," Naveen replied. "It was my idea. I want to."

"It's too much," Tiana said.

"It's not."

"Yes it is!" Tiana wiped a stray tear away. "People have killed for that kind of power, and you just want to throw it away?"

Naveen ran a hand through his hair. "Well… yes."

"You can't do this," Tiana repeated.

"I don't understand why you're against this," Naveen argued. "This is it. This is the answer."

Tiana placed her hands on his shoulders and let out a big breath. "Okay, let's take a step back. Please."

"Fine."

"When you say that you'll abdicate, that means you'll give up the throne, the crown, everything having to do with royalty, right?" Tiana asked.

"Yes, that's right," Naveen replied.

"That's everything you've grown up with, though," Tiana countered. "It's your whole world."

Naveen cupped Tiana's chin. "You are my whole world. I never cared about any of that, and everyone knows I would be a horrible king."

"I don't think that," Tiana said, truthfully. Maybe the old Naveen would have been a bad fit, but the Naveen she knew and loved would be a good and decent king. It might take a bit for him to learn all he needed to, but Tiana knew he could get there.

"You're sweet," Naveen smiled softly at her. "But Maldonia already doesn't care for me much. Having me on the throne would only make it worse. There will be riots in the street, the economy will crumble, and I wouldn't be surprised if the entire country collapsed. They will be much better off without me."

Tiana thought that seemed extreme, even for Naveen, but she didn't know enough to argue her point. "What about your family?" she asked.

"What about them?"

"We don't know if you need your parents approval to do this. I suppose we can find that out later," Tiana added as an aside to herself. They would have to do a lot of research on this.

Naveen brightened a little, thinking she was starting to go along with the idea.

"But you yourself have admitted your relationship with them is pretty rocky," Tiana continued. "They've already cut you off financially, what if this they cut you out completely? I don't want to be the reason you never see them again."

Naveen fidgeted a little. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but there was a small part of him that didn't seem to mind that outcome. His parents always seemed to bring out the worst in him, would it really be so terrible to never have that part of himself come out again?

But then he realized that he wouldn't just be cut off from his parents, he would also have cut ties with Ravi. Now that thought was heartbreaking. Lately he had begun to envision himself as a proper older brother. He wanted to help guide Ravi through life, making sure he didn't follow the same path that Naveen had. He wanted to teach Ravi to play the ukulele, and to mince, and most importantly, Naveen wanted to make sure Ravi never felt alone.

Could his parents be cruel enough to take all of that away if they disapproved of Naveen abdicating? Naveen didn't even have to think about it. The answer was obviously yes.

Naveen shifted again. "I'll make sure it will all work out peacefully."

"But you can't guarantee that, can you?"

"No. I can't." Naveen sighed, and took Tiana's hands in his. "I can't guess how they'll react. I don't know if they'll be angry or, of they'll understand…. But what I do know is that it's the right decision."

"How can you know that?" Tiana whispered.

"Because we'll have the life that we've always planned," Naveen said. "Even back in the bayou, when we were too afraid to think much of the future, we always wanted two things: to be together, and to have your restaurant. If I abdicate, we can have that life."

"I know, but it still feels like too much," Tiana said. "Why should you have to give up the crown, the throne, and anything else that might come up, and I still get to keep my restaurant." She took her hands away from his and rubbed her arms.

The gesture was so familiar to Naveen, and yet at the same time it broke his heart to see it again.

"It feels like I'm being too selfish," Tiana continued.

"You're not being selfish," Naveen said. He opened his arms, inviting her to come into his embrace.

Tiana hesitated for a moment, but then, to Naveen's relief, she relented and settled into his arms.

"Is that really how you feel?" Naveen asked softly.

Tiana nodded after a moment.

"It's not true, love," Naveen assured her. "You're not selfish at all. The two things are completely different."

She stayed silent, fiddling a bit with his tie, but Naveen knew she was listening intently.

"Growing up, I never really wanted to be a prince," Naveen said. "Oh sure, I enjoyed all the attention it gave me, but anytime I thought about what it meant… that I would one day take my father's place and be King of Maldonia…"

"It's like a pit, deep inside my core." Absently, Naveen made a fist and brought it to his stomach.

"Sometimes if I thought about it too much, it would make me sick," Naveen admitted. "I think… I think that's why I always ran away from those types of responsibilities."

"My whole life, it's been like a great shadow looming over me. To give it up… to be able to cast it aside, would almost be like a blessing. Not that I'm using our situation as a reason to do so, mind you," Naveen added quickly. "If we wanted that life, I would be doing everything I could to make myself into a better prince. You know that, yes?"

"Yes, I know," Tiana whispered.

"But I think we can both agree that it is not the path for us," Naveen said. "Why would we when you have the most beautiful dream to have ever existed?"

Tiana snorted at that, and Naveen broke into a smile. "I'm serious!"

She laughed again, and this time Naveen leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"You want to share your passion for food with the world." Naveen cupped her cheek and tilted her head towards him. "You deserve to have your dream come true."

Tiana reached and cupped Naveen's cheek in turn. "You won't resent me, if you do end up abdicating?"

"Never."

"And you wouldn't hold it over my head when we argue?"

"When would we ever argue?" Naveen asked.

"We just did," Tiana pointed out.

"That was not an argument. It was a spirited discussion," Naveen said, grinning when she laughed again. "But no, I won't use it in arguments. I think I can be a little more creative than that, no?"

Tiana was smiling widely now. It made her eyes shine even in the moonlight. She kissed him sweetly on the lips. "I love you, Naveen."

"I love you, too."

They kissed again, and Naveen leaned back, taking Tiana with him until they were lying side by side on the bed once more.

"I'd still like to try and win your parents over," Tiana said. She was stroking his cheek now, looking deep into those lovely hazel eyes of his.

"If anyone can do it, you can," Naveen said, rubbing his hands along her back. "Just teach them to mince and they'll fall head over heels for you."

"I did have something similar in mind," Tiana admitted.

"Oh really?" Naveen laughed. "What are you going to make them do?"

She tapped his nose playfully. "You'll see."

He kissed her in response.

When they parted, Tiana smiled softly at him and smoothed back those curls that always seemed to fall into his eyes. It was so lovely to touch him like this, to be back in his arms where she belonged.

"If it doesn't work though," Tiana said, "or if you still want to abdicate… I'll support you with whatever it is you want to do." She smoothed back those curls again. "Lets just learn more about it first, okay?"

"Alright," Naveen agreed. "While you are wooing my parents, I will study up on Maldonian law." He wrinkled his nose in faux disgust. "I never thought I would say that."

"It won't be so bad, will it?"

"I hope not," Naveen said with a sigh. "But I'll do it anyway." He stroked her cheek softly. "Anything for you."

Tiana pressed a kiss to his lips, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world.

Naveen gave a pleasant sigh this time, and shifted onto his back, letting Tiana rest her head on his chest again.

"I missed this," he said when they had settled into each other.

"We've never done  _this_ before," Tiana pointed out.

"I mean just being with you," Naveen said, stroking her hair. "Holding you like this. Talking to you. You're the only one I don't have to use a filter with. I can tell you exactly what's on my mind and in my heart."

Tiana kissed his cheek. "What's in your heart now?"

"My heart is very, very, very, very happy."

"Mine too," Tiana said, and nestled further into Naveen's chest. She closed her eyes, with no intention of falling asleep, but she must have, lulled as she was by the steady rise and fall of his chest. It could have been a few minutes or a few hours later when Naveen shook her gently.

"Tiana, I have to go."

"What? No," she said, blinking quickly from her sleep muddled brain. It seemed like he had just gotten here. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

"The sun will be coming up soon," Naveen said. "Much as it pains me to leave you, I don't think I should risk it."

Tiana glanced out the window, and sure enough the sky had that gray tint to it that meant the day would soon begin. She'd never been so disappointed to see the sun in her life.

Now faced with this reality, Tiana knew what Naveen had meant earlier about it being too difficult to be apart after being intimate with each other. She felt tears spring to her eyes but was determined not to shed them.

"I don't want you to go," she said, her tears betraying her as they fell onto her cheeks.

"Hey now," Naveen said gently, pulling her into another embrace. "I'm just across town, remember? I'll see you again in a few hours." He kissed her cheek. "There's no need to cry."

"I know, I know," Tiana said, dashing the moisture from her cheeks. "I never cried so much before I met you, you know."

Naveen shifted slightly, but Tiana hugged him close. "I never laughed so much either," she finished.

He brought their lips together for one last kiss. And then one more. And then another. It would be so easy to just fall back onto the bed and kiss her until eternity, and it took all of Naveen's will to tear himself away from her.

"I love you,  _mi sitara lu'seinn,_ " he whispered.

"I love you too, Froggy," Tiana whispered back.

Naveen snorted. "That's your pet nickname for me? You couldn't think of anything better?"

"What do you mean?" she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think it fits you perfectly." Tiana kissed him, even as she was giggling.

"I don't know what you're talking about." And then Naveen did his best to imitate a frog's ribbit, which sounded more realistic than he would have thought. Still, it had the desired effect of making Tiana laugh.

She muffled her giggles into his chest, and Naveen held her, muffling his own laughter into her neck.

"I'm so glad you're back," Tiana said, once her giggling was under control. "Did I already tell you that?"

"You may have mentioned it once or twice."

She pressed another kiss to his lips. "Well it's true."

"I never doubted you."

He kissed her again, but the sound of birdsong outside brought him back. Time was running out. "I really need to get going."

"Okay," Tiana said, tracing a finger along his chin. "I'll see you later though, right?"

"Nothing in this world could keep me away." He kissed her quickly. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Another quick kiss and Naveen climbed out the window.

"Please don't break your neck," Tiana whispered to him as he climbed down.

"I'll be careful." When he was close enough to the ground, Naveen let go of the trellis and jumped landing firmly on his feet. He then took an exaggerated bow, making Tiana laugh again.

She leaned on her windowsill and blew him a kiss, which Naveen caught in another exaggerated gesture. With a contented sigh, she watched him walk down the block with that confidant step of his, hands in his pockets, whistling a jaunty tune.

Just before he turned the corner, she saw him jump and click his heels together.


End file.
